In a long-term research strategy, the German higher federal authorities responsible for human and environmental safety - the German Environment Agency (UBA), the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) and the National Metrology Institute (PTB) - are accompanying the rapid pace of development of new materials from the points of view of occupational safety and health, consumer protection and environmental protection. The strategy is therefore closely linked with public funding programmes for research on nanomaterials and other advanced materials, such as those of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) ("From Material to Innovation") and the EU ("Horizon 2020").

The research strategy builds on the outcomes so far of the joint research strategy of the higher federal authorities launched in 2008 and first evaluated in 2013, "Nanotechnology: Health and Environmental Risks of Nanomaterials", while additionally covering other advanced materials where these pose similar risks to humans and the environment or where such risks need to be studied. It also takes up the idea of application safety of chemical products2 from the New Quality of Work (INQA) initiative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the concept of sustainable chemistry endorsed by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). Application safety and environmental compatibility are aimed for advanced materials and derived products in order to largely rule out unacceptable risks to humans and the environment. This can be achieved by:

1. Using safe materials without hazardous properties for humans and the environment direct application safety); or
2. Product design for low emissions and environmental compatibility over the entire product lifecycle (integrated application safety); or
3. Product stewardship, where producers support users in taking technical, organisational and personal safety measures for the safe use and disposal of products (supported application safety).

As a comprising part of the Federal Government's Nanotechnology Action Plan 2020, the update of the joint research strategy aims to contribute to governmental research in the following main areas:

• Characterising and assessing the human and environmental risks of advanced materials
• Supporting research institutions and business enterprises
• Science-based revision of legal requirements and recommendations
• Public acceptance

The research strategy is to be implemented in projects and other research-related activities. These include governmental research, tendering and extramural research funding, and participation in mostly publicly supported projects with third-party funding. Additional activities will take place as part of policy advice and the ongoing work of the sovereign tasks of agencies involved. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches will be used to better connect risk and safety research with innovation research and material development. In keeping up with the rapid pace of development, the time horizon for the research strategy is up to 2020. The research objectives address the research approaches likely to be actionable in this period. The research strategy will be supported by a working group and be evaluated and revised by the end of the Nanotechnology Action Plan 2020.