Management and Structure
The MPIfG's directors share responsibility for all decisions relating to the Institute and its work. The administration, IT services, editorial and public relations unit, library, and directors' offices are the infrastructural backbone of the Institute. They provide support and ancillary services to the research staff and visiting researchers and contribute to the Institute's technical and organizational development. The MPIfG offers vocational training in two areas, office communication and IT.
Directors
Prof. Dr. Jens Beckert and Prof. Dr. Lucio Baccaro are the MPIfG's current directors. The role of managing director alternates between the two directors every two years. Lucio Baccaro is the managing director for 2022 to 2024. The Institute's governing body is made up of the directors with the head of administration and the research coordinators in an advisory capacity.
Max Planck institutes are, within the guidelines of the Max Planck Society, independent and autonomous in the choice and pursuit of their research interests. The annual Project Portfolio Conference provides a forum for the leaders of research areas at the MPIfG to present their groups' research interests and current projects. Twice a year, issues relating to the organization of the Institute and forthcoming events are discussed in meetings open to all members of the MPIfG.
Administrative Management
As the head of administration, Ursula Trappe supports the managing director with the planning and organization of the Institute’s administrative affairs. She has overall responsibility for management of administrative processes including finance, human resources, contracts, purchasing, building services, and facility management. She prepares policy decisions for the directors and oversees finance and accounting, in which capacity she is responsible for ensuring proper, efficient, and economic management and use of the Institute's budget and third-party funds. Her role also includes improving the research infrastructure and in human resources for recruitment and development of both research and service staff.
Research Coordination
Research coordination at the MPIfG includes academic coordination of the IMPRS-SPCE and involves consulting with and supporting the directors on research management issues and in implementing their decisions. The current research coordinators, Susanne Berger and Gudrun Löhrer, are the point of contact for doctoral students, postdocs, visiting researchers, and the Society of Friends and Former Associates of the MPIfG. They liaise with the Institute’s growing network of research organizations, including the two IMPRS-SPCE partner universities, the MaxPo Center in Paris, the Partner Groups in Poland and Chile, and the IMPRS-SPCE's international partner universities in France, Italy, and the US.
Service Units
The service groups have a high degree of autonomy in organizing their work. They are in touch with their counterparts at MPG headquarters and at other Max Planck institutes and social science research institutions in the local region, in Germany, and abroad. This helps to ensure that MPIfG researchers can always rely on professional support and service.
