German Social Science Infrastructure Services - GESIS

GESIS was founded in December 1986 as the Registered Society for Social Science Infrastructure Institutions (Gesellschaft Sozialwissenschaftlicher  Infrastruktureinrichtungen e.V.), its purpose to promote and strengthen social scientific research. Among other things, its creation corresponded to the recommendation of the Science Advisory Board "to consolidate the most important services for social science research under one common organizational roof".

GESIS is a member of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz e.V., an umbrella organisation that brings together 78 independent institutes that engage in research and support researcher needs: institute financing comes from the German states and the federal government.

The substantive work in these institutes ranges from natural science, engineering, and environmental studies to the economic and social sciences, and includes the humanities and even museums with associated research departments. The institutes are interdisciplinary and work in response to research queries. As legally independent entities that stand outside universities and follow independent scientific agendas, they have significance beyond their particular regions and do work that is in the public interest.