Robert Koch Institute

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is one of the most important bodies for the safeguarding of public health in Germany. As leading institution of the government in the field of biomedicine it plays a major role in the prevention and combating of infectious diseases as well as in the analysis of long-term public health trends in the German health system.

Research and prevention of infections is a classic field of work for the RKI. For example, its scientists conduct research into the molecular properties and transmission modes of all groups of pathogens, including not only bacteria and viruses but also fungi, parasites and prions like the BSE pathogen. In addition, the RKI according to the infection protection act records and analyses data on the occurrence of numerous infectious diseases throughout Germany.

Characteristic for the RKI is its advisory role towards the federal government, state and local health authorities and medical specialists. For example, the institute develops recommendations for the vaccination of children and hygiene measures in hospitals. The RKI provides expert teams to help in investigations of regional epidemic outbreaks and collaborates with other authorities and experts to draw up epidemic emergency plans for extraordinary scenarios such as a worldwide influenza pandemic. National reference centres and consultant laboratories for various bacterial and viral diseases are also located at the RKI. They serve as central contact points for the identification and of the protection against the diseases. The RKI also functions as an important interface in numerous international co-operative projects.

The RKI has its headquarters and two additional locations in Berlin as well as a branch in Wernigerode in the Harz region. Its staff of around 1,080 includes approximately 450 scientists, including Ph.D. students and trainees. The Robert Koch Institute regularly seeks third-party funding for its research projects. Specific scientific issues are investigated in project groups. Young researchers have the opportunity to raise their profile in the scope of junior research groups. An internal institutional research board and an external scientific advisory council continuously monitor the quality of the scientific work.

The Robert Koch Institute is Germany’s public health institute. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of the population. To this end, 1,100 individuals from 90 different occupational fields work and conduct research together at RKI every day.

We produce evidence. Scientific questions change – and as they do, the methods with which data on health and disease can be collected and interpreted change, too. As well as state-of-the-art approaches, we therefore continually develop new ways of tackling issues in fields like digital epidemiology, artificial intelligence and targeted, group-specific communication. Because sound results and recommendations are dependent on high-quality data, our scientific activities and infrastructure are regularly evaluated both internally and externally.

We assume responsibility on a global scale. Health crises like the Ebola virus disease outbreak in West Africa can only be tackled in cooperation with the countries affected. We provide expertise and resources to assist and support partner countries and help them to better prepare for crises. In addition, the Robert Koch Institute works closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) as well as coordinating a raft of international research projects. Our institute is open to all people, irrespective of their origin, religious belief and gender identity.

We work autonomously, independently and transparently. We implement legal provisions on issues like data protection, biosafety, the safety of genetic engineering and animal protection. We place great emphasis on observing the rules of good scientific practice and dealing responsibly with research risks. As a higher federal authority within the remit of the Federal Ministry of Health, RKI is not dependent on funding from industry. Conflicts of interest and research projects that are not publicly funded are appropriately declared as such.

The world is changing – we are changing, too. Founded in 1891, the Robert Koch Institute is one of the oldest biomedical research institutes in the world. It is part of the institute’s ethos to recognise and embrace new challenges, constantly scrutinise its own approaches and break new ground. Over the decades, it is this openness that has enabled us to become what we are today: the institute for the health of the public.