Interdisciplinary research

What makes our research stand out are its high levels of interdisciplinarity and its strong practical orientation. We employ experts in many different disciplines, including biology, business studies, chemistry, engineering, epidemiology, ergonomics, law, medicine, physics, psychology, and sociology, all dedicated to building a safe, healthy world of work.

The tasks and functions we perform in research and development (R&D), policy advice, regulation at the national and EU levels, and science communication, as well as our activities at the DASA Working World Exhibition in Dortmund make us a unique interface between science and practice. At the same time the way we bring together all these different strands gives our findings greater relevance and visibility.

Quality standards with practical relevance

Research is the foundation for all our work. What we do in this field is driven by passion and conviction. We aspire not just to satisfy academic quality standards, but also to generate practically applicable solutions for the world of work.

Our research and development activities are independent and meet high scientific quality standards. They comply with the guidelines for good research practice issued by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) and the German Federal Government’s principles of modern departmental research, which are reflected in our internal guidelines. Our scientists conduct their own in-house research. In addition, we contribute our know-how to many competitively funded consortium projects, commission extramural research from third parties, and cooperate closely with universities and other research institutions at the national and international levels. Our involvement in Germany’s central scientific communities and networking with other departmental research establishments are also valuable in this context.

Science-based policy advice and regulation

As a departmental research establishment, scientifically based policy advice and regulation are the most important areas of activity through which we engage with policymakers, economic actors, and society as a whole. We ensure our findings are not confined to the science system, but can have an impact at various levels and among the various groups with which we seek to connect. Our academic staff address societally and politically relevant questions in their studies, drawing on what they learn to develop the research agenda yet further and feeding their findings into debates about policy. Many of our scientists utilise their expertise contributing to the conduct of key regulatory tasks and functions at the national and European levels.

We understand research, policy advice, regulation, and science communication as closely interconnected, reciprocal processes. We draw on scientific expertise and findings to deliver well-founded recommendations for policy decision makers and central actors in occupational safety and health. One example is the work done on chemicals law by the Federal Office for Chemicals (Bundesstelle für Chemikalien, BfC), which is based within BAuA.

Opportunities for development

We are strongly committed to gender equality - both in our research and in all other areas of our work. We are proud to have a balanced gender distribution at every level of our hierarchy.

We regard ongoing training and personal development as decisive factors if individuals are to keep pace with the constantly changing demands of the world of work. We will draw up a training plan specifically tailored for you as a researcher that helps us give you targeted support as you pursue your academic goals – whether you are working towards a BSc, MSc, or PhD or seeking to qualify for a professorial appointment. This involves close cooperation with various universities, where many of our researchers hold co-opted professorships.

We take the need to support our junior researchers very seriously, in particular when they are writing a dissertation or thesis. There are various formats we can use to help you learn from others’ experience, including internal networks that facilitate contacts among our staff. For example, the events held by the Junior Research Group on AI enable up-and-coming researchers studying digitalisation and artificial intelligence to benefit from the experience of our senior personnel and BAuA’s collaborative networks. The NAWUWI network also brings together BAuA’s early-career scientists, making it easier for them to build links with their peers.

We run the in-house Science+ training programme for our PhD students. Its aim is to complement their scientific qualifications by conveying interdisciplinary knowledge and teaching key skills, such as project management, writing, research methodology, etc.

Contact

Have you got any questions about career opportunities at BAuA? Send us an email!