German Science and Humanities Council

The German Science and Humanities Council (Wissenschaftsrat, WR) is an advisory body to the German Federal Government and the federal state governments. It makes recommendations on the development of science, research, and the universities, as well as on the competitiveness of German science. These recommendations involve both quantitative and financial considerations, as well as their implementation. Funding is provided by the federal and state governments.

The Science and Humanities Council's Scientific Commission has 32 members appointed by the Federal President. Twenty-four scientists are jointly proposed by the German Research Foundation, the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, the German Rectors' Conference, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the Fraunhofer Society, and the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Scientific Community. Another eight persons of high public standing are jointly proposed by the Federal Government and the federal state governments.