Organization

The Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education (IPN) is one of 97 research institutes of the Leibniz Association. Its executive management consists of Prof. Dr. Olaf Köller, the Managing Director of Research, and Mareike Bierlich, the Managing Director of Administration.

Along with the professors of the Institute appointed as department heads, the executive management forms the Board of Directors, which consults on Institute affairs.

The Board of Trustees oversees the legality and the cost-effectiveness in the management of the IPN's operations.

The institute's research is regularly evaluated by the Scientific Advisory Board, which also advises the IPN on research planning.

The IPN Scientific Committee advises IPN researchers on issues of importance to research.

The IPN’S approximately 200 employees work in seven research departments (Biology Education, Chemistry Education, Mathematics Education, Physics Education, Educational Research and Educational Psychology, Educational Measurement and Data Science, Knowledge Transfer), in the Computer Science Education research group which was jointly established with Kiel University and in additional infrastructure services including administration, library, IT and press and public relations.

Research on current educational issues and projects at the IPN is carried out in interdisciplinary teams of researchers from science, mathematics, computer science, educational science, and psychology. Research projects are organized in a matrix structure in which departments and research lines are the structuring elements. The departmental structure forms a long-term organizational structure. The research lines present research areas that can be structurally modified and evolve in response to changes in the research landscape. They structure the research work of the departments and facilitate a variety of collaboration projects.