2019 tables: Institutions - Earth & environmental sciences

The 2019 tables are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018.

Table criteria

# Institution Share 2017 Share 2018 Count 2018 Change in Adjusted Share* 2017–2018
1 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Germany 125.92 147.87 446 7.2%
2 Max Planck Society, Germany 25.88 35.61 157 25.6%
3 Leibniz Association, Germany 19.43 29.34 133 37.9%
4 University of Bremen (Uni Bremen), Germany 18.46 24.84 87 22.8%
5 University of Münster (WWU), Germany 8.15 18.02 41 102.0%
6 University of Bayreuth (UBT), Germany 15.19 14.75 36 -11.3%
7 University of Tübingen (Uni Tübingen), Germany 9.31 12.28 41 20.5%
8 University of Potsdam, Germany 7.61 11.96 69 43.6%
9 University of Kiel (CAU), Germany 3.56 10.00 38 156.7%
10 Free University of Berlin (FU Berlin), Germany 8.46 9.10 45 -1.7%
11 Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany 5.49 8.38 32 39.3%
12 Heidelberg University (Uni Heidelberg), Germany 2.31 7.93 26 213.7%
13 Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), Germany 8.12 7.14 27 -19.6%
14 University of Cologne (UoC), Germany 5.48 6.86 27 14.2%
15 University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Germany 6.30 6.04 10 -12.4%
16 Goethe University Frankfurt (GU), Germany 4.41 6.00 32 24.3%
17 RWTH Aachen University (RWTH Aachen), Germany 4.65 5.48 20 7.6%
18 University of Oldenburg, Germany 4.79 5.18 20 -1.2%
19 German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Germany 2.90 5.14 7 61.5%
20 Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Germany 1.72 4.57 25 142.0%
21 University of Göttingen, Germany 2.09 4.34 22 89.6%
22 University of Hamburg (UHH), Germany 3.99 4.12 20 -5.7%
23 Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), Germany 3.72 4.04 18 -0.8%
24 Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Germany 4.30 3.60 12 -23.5%
25 Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), Germany 1.61 3.60 30 104.4%
26 Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin), Germany 1.76 3.31 29 72.0%
27 TU Dresden, Germany 0.84 3.28 18 257.4%
28 University of Bonn (Uni Bonn), Germany 7.92 2.98 17 -65.7%
29 Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Germany 0.53 2.66 7 360.5%
30 Leipzig University, Germany 2.34 2.29 32 -10.6%
31 University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany 1.97 2.22 9 3.2%
32 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Germany 5.94 2.19 18 -66.4%
33 University of Freiburg (Uni Freiburg), Germany 0.63 2.07 16 199.9%
34 Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Germany 0.36 1.47 25 273.2%
35 Technical University Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig), Germany 1.06 1.40 6 20.7%
36 Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany 2.48 1.37 9 -49.7%
37 University of Koblenz and Landau, Germany 4.55 1.36 3 -72.7%
38 Federal Environment Agency Germany (UBA), Germany 0.25 1.33 5 386.7%
39 DVGW - Water Technology Center (TZW), Germany 1.06 1.21 3 4.7%
40 Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), Germany 0.93 1.20 7 18.0%
41 University of Konstanz, Germany 0.67 1.13 7 53.6%
42 BASF SE, Germany 1.01 1.11 5 0.4%
43 Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Germany 1.80 1.05 7 -46.6%
44 University of Augsburg, Germany 0.21 1.01 4 330.6%
45 Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany 1.01 2 N/A
46 University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, Germany 1.00 1 N/A
47 University of Stuttgart, Germany 1.01 0.98 7 -11.0%
48 Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB), Germany 0.88 1 N/A
49 University of Kaiserslautern (TU Kaiserslautern), Germany 0.67 0.84 2 15.5%
50 University of Würzburg (JMU), Germany 0.21 0.84 9 267.5%
51 University of Kassel, Germany 0.50 0.77 4 41.0%
52 Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Germany 0.46 0.76 4 50.9%
53 Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, Germany 0.71 1 N/A
54 University of Rostock, Germany 0.07 0.71 7 807.3%
55 Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt), Germany 0.42 0.67 3 47.1%
56 Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Germany 0.67 1 N/A
57 Constructor University, Germany 1.43 0.62 4 -60.4%
58 Giessen University (JLU), Germany 1.62 0.54 4 -69.5%
59 Philipps University of Marburg (Uni Marburg), Germany 0.51 3 N/A
60 Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences (THI), Germany 0.46 3 N/A
61 European Southern Observatory (ESO), Germany 0.26 0.45 2 57.6%
62 Centre for High-Performance Scientific Computing in Terrestrial Systems (HPSC TerrSys), Germany 0.42 2 N/A
63 University of Hohenheim, Germany 0.79 0.42 4 -51.3%
64 University of Greifswald, Germany 0.06 0.41 4 520.6%
65 Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), Germany 0.39 1 N/A
66 Fraunhofer Society, Germany 0.51 0.38 3 -31.8%
67 Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Münsterland-Emscher-Lippe (CVUA-MEL), Germany 0.38 1 N/A
68 Bielefeld University, Germany 0.02 0.35 3 1357.0%
69 Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg (BTU), Germany 0.33 1 N/A
69 TU Dortmund University, Germany 0.33 1 N/A
69 Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (WH), Germany 0.33 1 N/A
70 Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU), Germany 0.32 2 N/A
71 Global Climate Forum e.V. (GCF), Germany 0.27 0.32 2 6.1%
72 Association of Chinese Chemists and Chemical Engineers in Germany (GCCCD), Germany 0.30 3 N/A
73 ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Germany 0.02 0.29 1 1569.9%
73 HYDRO-BIOS Apparatebau GmbH, Germany 0.29 1 N/A
74 Climate Analytics GmbH, Germany 0.18 0.28 3 39.1%
75 European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Germany 0.27 4 N/A
76 Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Germany 0.27 3 N/A
77 Allianz SE, Germany 0.00 0.25 1 33736.0%
77 University of Wuppertal, Germany 0.17 0.25 1 37.0%
77 Deutsche Post Foundation, Germany 0.25 1 N/A
78 Ulm University, Germany 0.13 0.24 4 66.6%
79 Bayer AG, Germany 0.23 2 N/A
80 Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities, Germany 0.25 0.22 1 -18.8%
81 Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Germany 0.35 0.20 1 -47.4%
81 Texplor Exploration and Environmental Technology GmbH, Germany 0.20 1 N/A
81 Stadtentwässerung Kaiserslautern, Germany 0.20 1 N/A
82 Stiftung Mercator, Germany 0.06 0.19 2 174.0%
83 Freiburg Umweltschutzamt, Germany 0.17 1 N/A
83 Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, Germany 0.17 1 N/A
84 Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (HNU), Germany 0.16 2 N/A
85 Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology e.V. (IUTA), Germany 0.25 0.13 1 -54.3%
85 Gesellschaft für Materialprüfung und Geophysik mbH (GMUG), Germany 0.13 1 N/A
85 Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany 0.13 1 N/A
86 Bavarian Natural History Collections (SNSB), Germany 0.09 0.11 3 12.1%
87 A.p.f. Aqua System AG, Germany 0.11 1 N/A
88 Hydra Network, Germany 0.11 1 N/A
89 State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG), Germany 0.03 0.10 1 174.0%
89 Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology (STMWI), Germany 0.10 0.10 1 -8.7%
89 Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH (IABG), Germany 0.10 0.10 1 -8.7%
89 MTU Aero Engines AG, Germany 0.10 0.10 1 -8.7%
89 Eusserthal Ecosystem Research Station (EERES), University of Koblenz and Landau, Germany 0.10 1 N/A
89 United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES), Germany 0.10 1 N/A
89 German Volcano Museum Lava Dome, Germany 0.10 1 N/A
90 10° E Maritime Consulting, Germany 0.09 1 N/A
90 State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe (SMNK), Germany 0.09 1 N/A
91 Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland" (IAR), Germany 0.50 0.09 2 -84.4%
92 University of Applied Sciences for Engineering and Economics (HTW Berlin), Germany 0.08 1 N/A
92 Parmenides Foundation, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
92 Patzold, Köbke Engineers GmbH & Co. KG, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
92 Ministeriums für Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft und Digitalisierung des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
92 Allwetterzoo Münster, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
92 Deutsche Börse Group, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
93 nowcast GmbH, Germany 0.07 1 N/A
94 Carl Zeiss AG, Germany 0.22 0.07 1 -72.8%
95 Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS), Germany 0.68 0.06 1 -91.5%
95 Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), Germany 0.06 1 N/A
96 Forest Research Institute of Baden-Wuerttemberg (FVA), Germany 0.03 0.06 1 69.8%
97 Software Quality Systems (SQS) Group Limited, Germany 0.06 1 N/A
98 Staatsbetrieb Sachsenforst (SBS), Germany 0.05 1 N/A
98 Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Germany 0.05 1 N/A
98 Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI), Germany 0.05 1 N/A
99 University of Osnabrück (Uni Osnabrück), Germany 0.15 0.04 1 -75.2%
99 Trier University, Germany 0.04 1 N/A
99 German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Germany 0.04 1 N/A
99 Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Germany 0.04 1 N/A
100 Data Publisher for Earth and Environmental Science (PANGAEA), Germany 0.04 1 N/A

Footnote

Each year, the Nature Index publishes tables based on counts of high-quality research outputs in the previous calendar year. Users please note:

  1. The data behind the tables are based on a relatively small proportion of total research papers, they cover the natural sciences only and outputs are non-normalized (that is, they don’t reflect the size of the country or institution, or its overall research output).
  2. The Nature Index is one indicator of institutional research performance. The metrics of Count and Share used to order Nature Index listings are based on an institution’s or country’s publication output in 82 natural-science journals through 2022, in 2023 64 health-science journals were added to the Index. The 146 journals in the Nature Index were selected on reputation by an independent panel of leading scientists in their fields.
  3. Nature Index recognizes that many other factors must be taken into account when considering research quality and institutional performance; Nature Index metrics alone should not be used to assess institutions or individuals.
  4. Nature Index data and methods are transparent and available under a creative commons licence at nature.com/nature-index/.
  5. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The Nature Index database undergoes regular updating, corrections, adjustment of institutional hierarchies, and removal of retracted papers and thus the live website can differ from the frozen annual tables.

*The change in adjusted Share accounts for the small annual variation in the total number of articles in Nature Index journals. Share values have been adjusted to 2022 levels to calculate the percentage change. For more information on the adjustment, please see the Adjusted metric explainer.