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Research facility · Potsdam · Germany

Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ

In research, Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ stands highest in Physical Sciences (#2,380 of 12,888 worldwide), Social Sciences (#3,173 of 10,521 worldwide) and Social Sciences (#2,410 of 6,365 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Global and Planetary Change and Political Science and International Relations — Global and Planetary Change is 11.9× its share of world research.

rifs-potsdam.deROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#3,248
of 28,054 · #4,880 all time
Rank in Germany
#158
of 1,178
Research works
870
▲ 74% vs 2013–17
Citations
18k
21.0 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
34.5%
record average 16.5%
Open access
64%
world 28%

What is Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Physical SciencesDomain #2,380 of 12,888 32.0%106 #3612
Social SciencesDomain #3,173 of 10,521 36.9%133 #3908
Social SciencesField #2,410 of 6,365 38.9%84 #3104

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Physical Sciences#3,612 #2,380
  2. Social Sciences#3,908 #3,173
  3. Social Sciences#3,104 #2,410
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Global and Planetary Change takes 11.9× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Global and Planetary ChangeSubfield · 22.8 works12×
  2. Political Science and International RelationsSubfield · 24.4 works6.5×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.45× its world share, 5 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.20× its world share, 3 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.04× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksNeuroscienceChemical Engineering: 0.44× its world share, 0 worksChemical EngineeringChemistry: 0.04× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.07× its world share, 1 worksComputer ScienceEarth and Planetary Sciences: 2.79× its world share, 11 worksEarth and Planetary …Energy: 5.13× its world share, 12 worksEnergyEngineering: 0.59× its world share, 22 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 4.53× its world share, 56 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.13× its world share, 1 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.07× its world share, 0 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.17× its world share, 1 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.42× its world share, 3 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.03× its world share, 1 worksMedicineNursing: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.67× its world share, 5 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 2.01× its world share, 16 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 2.11× its world share, 5 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 2.33× its world share, 12 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 1.23× its world share, 9 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 2.66× its world share, 84 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Energy, 5.1×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ?

Ranked on the composite score, Tim Butler, Ilan Chabay and Andreas Goldthau lead among researchers whose main affiliation is Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ.

  1. 1 Tim Butler Germany · #34,985 worldwide 527 citations · 61 works
  2. 2 Ilan Chabay Germany · #99,285 worldwide 149 citations · 32 works
  3. 3 Andreas Goldthau Germany · #206,439 worldwide 114 citations · 37 works
  4. 4 Erika von Schneidemesser Germany · #236,221 worldwide 131 citations · 28 works
  5. 5 Peter Irvine Germany · #296,746 worldwide 142 citations · 16 works
  6. 6 Johan Lilliestam Germany · #334,817 worldwide 182 citations · 35 works
  7. 7 Stefan Schäfer Germany · #336,409 worldwide 56 citations · 39 works
  8. 8 Adela Marian Germany · #616,626 worldwide 104 citations · 17 works
  9. 9 Tobias Haas Germany · #631,119 worldwide 33 citations · 15 works
  10. 10 Jeremias Herberg Germany · #688,593 worldwide 17 citations · 21 works
All ranked researchers at Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ

Which keywords describe research at Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Renewable Energy, Climate Change, Sustainability, Resilience, Climate Change Adaptation, Social-Ecological Systems, Sustainability Transitions and Hydrosocial Cycle.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Renewable Energy44▲ 12×21 topics
  2. Climate Change32▲ 4.8×55 topics
  3. Sustainability30▲ 4.9×41 topics
  4. Resilience19▲ 16×6 topics
  5. Climate Change Adaptation18▲ 42×2 topics
  6. Sustainable Development17▲ 4.2×21 topics
  7. Social-Ecological Systems16▲ 46×1 topic
  8. Sustainability Transitions16▲ 246×1 topic
  9. Hydrosocial Cycle14▲ 352×1 topic
  10. Water Privatization14▲ 352×1 topic
  11. Public Perception12▲ 39×5 topics
  12. Environmental Impact12▲ 2.8×21 topics
  13. Energy Transition12▲ 33×4 topics
  14. Global Warming10▲ 10×10 topics
  15. Greenhouse Gas Emissions9▲ 13×6 topics
  16. Global Governance9▲ 16×12 topics
  17. Governance9▲ 11×8 topics
  18. Environmental Policy9▲ 17×7 topics
  19. Risk Perception8▲ 12×4 topics
  20. Public Opinion8▲ 24×3 topics
  21. Place Attachment7▲ 83×2 topics
  22. Geopolitics7▲ 18×3 topics
  23. Sustainable Energy7▲ 16×2 topics
  24. Wind Power7▲ 30×2 topics
  25. Community Attitudes7▲ 187×1 topic
  26. Social Acceptance7▲ 102×1 topic
  27. Ethics7▲ 5.7×9 topics
  28. Leadership7▲ 5.8×9 topics
  29. Neoliberalism7▲ 7.7×8 topics
  30. Particulate Matter7▲ 18×2 topics
  31. Trust6▲ 9.3×7 topics
  32. Urban Development6▲ 7.1×6 topics
  33. Economic Impacts6▲ 35×2 topics
  34. Carbon Pricing6▲ 49×1 topic
  35. Policy Instruments6▲ 38×1 topic
  36. Air Quality6▲ 12×3 topics
  37. Biomass Combustion6▲ 28×2 topics
  38. Environmental Attitudes6▲ 28×2 topics
  39. Social Innovation5▲ 14×3 topics
  40. International Relations5▲ 8.8×7 topics

Which research topics does Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Sustainability and Climate Change Governance, Water Governance and Infrastructure, Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy and Climate Change Policy and Economics.

Sustainability and Clima…16Sustainability and Climate Change Governance: 16 fractional worksWater Governance and Inf…14Water Governance and Infrastructure: 14 fractional worksSocial Acceptance of Renewable Energy: 7 fractional worksClimate Change Policy and Economics: 6 fractional worksRisk Perception and Management: 5 fractional worksPsychology, Coaching, and Therapy: 5 fractional worksAir Quality and Health Impacts: 4 fractional worksGlobal Energy Security and Policy: 4 fractional worksAtmospheric chemistry and aerosols: 4 fractional worksEconomic and Social Issues: 4 fractional works
Global and Planetary ChangePolitical Science and International RelationsSociology and Political ScienceEconomics and Econometrics4 others

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Sustainability and Climate Change Governance Global and Planetary Change 16 works
  2. 2 Water Governance and Infrastructure Political Science and International Relations 14 works
  3. 3 Social Acceptance of Renewable Energy Sociology and Political Science 7 works
  4. 4 Climate Change Policy and Economics Economics and Econometrics 6 works
  5. 5 Risk Perception and Management Sociology and Political Science 5 works
  6. 6 Psychology, Coaching, and Therapy Social Psychology 5 works
  7. 7 Air Quality and Health Impacts Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis 4 works
  8. 8 Global Energy Security and Policy General Energy 4 works
  9. 9 Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols Atmospheric Science 4 works
  10. 10 Economic and Social Issues Sociology and Political Science 4 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available63.6%not open36.4%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors29.9%domestic only70.1%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 74% higher than in 2013–2017.

2005201020152020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Potsdam

All research institutions in Potsdam

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.