2020 tables: Institutions - Earth & environmental sciences

The 2020 tables are based on Nature Index data from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019.

Table criteria

# Institution Share 2018 Share 2019 Count 2019 Change in Adjusted Share* 2018–2019
1 Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, Germany 147.87 119.55 404 -21.6%
2 Max Planck Society, Germany 35.61 34.32 158 -6.6%
3 Leibniz Association, Germany 29.34 26.58 120 -12.2%
4 University of Bayreuth (UBT), Germany 14.75 16.52 39 8.6%
5 University of Bremen (Uni Bremen), Germany 24.84 14.30 57 -44.2%
6 University of Münster (WWU), Germany 18.02 14.12 34 -24.1%
7 Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich (LMU), Germany 7.14 13.16 42 78.5%
8 University of Potsdam, Germany 11.96 12.53 68 1.5%
9 Free University of Berlin (FU Berlin), Germany 9.10 10.72 50 14.2%
10 University of Tübingen (Uni Tübingen), Germany 12.28 10.71 46 -15.5%
11 Goethe University Frankfurt (GU), Germany 6.00 10.23 37 65.2%
12 Technical University of Munich (TUM), Germany 8.38 8.92 35 3.2%
13 University of Kiel (CAU), Germany 10.00 8.19 33 -20.6%
14 RWTH Aachen University (RWTH Aachen), Germany 5.48 7.66 15 35.5%
15 University of Hamburg (UHH), Germany 4.12 7.60 30 78.7%
16 German Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), Germany 5.14 6.77 13 27.7%
17 Heidelberg University (Uni Heidelberg), Germany 7.93 6.49 24 -20.7%
18 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), Germany 2.19 6.46 24 186.4%
19 University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), Germany 2.22 5.53 16 141.3%
20 University of Cologne (UoC), Germany 6.86 5.47 23 -22.6%
21 University of Göttingen, Germany 4.34 4.23 27 -5.5%
22 Leibniz University Hannover (LUH), Germany 4.04 4.18 16 0.4%
23 University of Freiburg (Uni Freiburg), Germany 2.07 3.95 18 84.7%
24 Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), Germany 1.20 3.62 16 192.4%
25 University of Hohenheim, Germany 0.42 3.34 7 672.7%
26 University of Bonn (Uni Bonn), Germany 2.98 3.26 13 6.1%
27 Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Germany 3.60 2.89 14 -22.1%
28 University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Germany 6.04 2.84 7 -54.4%
29 Friedrich Schiller University Jena (FSU), Germany 3.60 2.47 25 -33.5%
30 Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUBAF), Germany 1.37 2.47 10 74.8%
31 Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin), Germany 4.57 2.45 23 -48.1%
32 University of Konstanz, Germany 1.13 2.43 5 107.3%
33 TU Dresden, Germany 3.28 2.33 10 -31.2%
34 Fraunhofer Society, Germany 0.38 2.30 5 483.5%
35 University of Koblenz and Landau, Germany 1.36 1.98 5 41.4%
36 Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), Germany 0.27 1.96 2 614.7%
37 Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin), Germany 3.31 1.80 27 -47.3%
38 University of Oldenburg, Germany 5.18 1.78 14 -66.7%
39 Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Germany 2.66 1.67 4 -39.0%
40 Leipzig University, Germany 2.29 1.66 30 -29.9%
41 Technical University of Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt), Germany 0.67 1.50 3 115.4%
42 Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU), Germany 1.47 1.48 24 -2.4%
43 Federal Environment Agency Germany (UBA), Germany 1.33 1.17 3 -14.7%
44 Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB), Germany 0.88 1.00 2 10.8%
44 University of Kassel, Germany 0.77 1.00 1 25.5%
44 Fresenius University of Applied Sciences, Germany 0.71 1.00 2 35.7%
45 Giessen University (JLU), Germany 0.54 0.94 8 68.2%
46 Technical University Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig), Germany 1.40 0.87 8 -40.0%
47 University of Stuttgart, Germany 0.98 0.83 6 -17.8%
48 Ford-Werke GmbH, Germany 0.81 1 N/A
49 University of Würzburg (JMU), Germany 0.84 0.81 8 -6.5%
50 Constructor University, Germany 0.62 0.76 4 19.1%
51 Trier University, Germany 0.04 0.76 2 1661.0%
52 NewClimate Institute, Germany 0.75 1 N/A
52 Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences (HS PF), Germany 0.75 1 N/A
53 DVGW - Water Technology Center (TZW), Germany 1.21 0.70 3 -43.9%
54 University of Wuppertal, Germany 0.25 0.70 6 171.6%
55 Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Germany 1.05 0.66 5 -39.2%
56 University of Greifswald, Germany 0.41 0.61 4 46.3%
57 Research Institute for Ecosystem Analysis and Assessment (GAIAC), Germany 0.60 1 N/A
58 Philipps University of Marburg (Uni Marburg), Germany 0.51 0.60 5 12.9%
59 University of Siegen, Germany 0.52 2 N/A
60 Bundeswehr, Germany 0.50 1 N/A
61 University of Rostock, Germany 0.71 0.49 4 -32.5%
62 Union of the German Academies of Sciences and Humanities, Germany 0.22 0.44 3 91.1%
63 Thünen Institute, Germany 0.02 0.43 3 1641.3%
64 Climate Risk Analysis, Germany 0.42 2 N/A
65 University of Augsburg, Germany 1.01 0.40 3 -61.5%
66 HafenCity University Hamburg (HCU), Germany 0.01 0.40 1 5443.6%
67 Senckenberg am Meer, Germany 0.39 2 N/A
68 Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology e.V. (IUTA), Germany 0.13 0.31 1 140.0%
69 Ulm University, Germany 0.24 0.31 5 24.6%
70 Climate Analytics GmbH, Germany 0.28 0.31 2 7.7%
71 Bavarian Natural History Collections (SNSB), Germany 0.11 0.30 3 162.4%
72 Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), Germany 0.39 0.30 1 -25.2%
73 Stiftung Mercator, Germany 0.19 0.29 1 50.8%
74 RheinEnergie AG, Germany 0.28 1 N/A
75 University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover (TiHo), Germany 0.27 2 N/A
76 Clausthal University of Technology (TU Clausthal), Germany 0.26 2 N/A
77 European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility GmbH (XFEL), Germany 0.26 3 N/A
78 Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany 0.02 0.25 3 1165.0%
79 Bavarian Environment Agency (LfU), Germany 0.32 0.23 2 -31.3%
80 Hydrotox - Labor für Ökotoxikologie und Gewässerschutz GmbH, Germany 0.22 1 N/A
81 University of Osnabrück (Uni Osnabrück), Germany 0.04 0.21 2 398.4%
82 Forest Research Institute of Baden-Wuerttemberg (FVA), Germany 0.06 0.20 2 235.4%
83 Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE), Germany 0.67 0.20 1 -70.9%
84 Deutsche Post Foundation, Germany 0.25 0.19 2 -24.6%
85 Karl Schwarzschild Observatory (TLS), Germany 0.17 3 N/A
86 Global Climate Forum e.V. (GCF), Germany 0.32 0.17 1 -48.8%
86 Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany 0.17 1 N/A
86 European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), Germany 0.17 1 N/A
86 Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research (NIHK), Germany 0.17 1 N/A
86 Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), Germany 0.17 1 N/A
86 Zweckverband Landeswasserversorgung, Germany 0.17 1 N/A
87 Inversion Lab (iLab), Germany 0.14 1 N/A
87 Xylem Services GmbH, Germany 0.14 1 N/A
88 Bielefeld University, Germany 0.35 0.14 2 -61.9%
89 Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Germany 1.01 0.13 1 -88.0%
89 German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW), Germany 0.13 1 N/A
90 Curt-Engelhorn-Centre Archaeometry gGmbH, Germany 0.12 2 N/A
91 State Authority for Mining, Energy and Geology (LBEG), Germany 0.10 0.11 1 7.7%
91 Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Germany 0.76 0.11 1 -85.9%
91 Akademie für Menschliche Medizin GmbH (AMM), Germany 0.11 1 N/A
92 Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany 0.03 0.11 2 290.0%
93 Eusserthal Ecosystem Research Station (EERES), University of Koblenz and Landau, Germany 0.10 0.10 1 -3.1%
93 Bochum University of Applied Sciences, Germany 0.20 0.10 1 -51.5%
93 TU Dortmund University, Germany 0.33 0.10 1 -70.9%
93 Centre for High-Performance Scientific Computing in Terrestrial Systems (HPSC TerrSys), Germany 0.42 0.10 1 -77.0%
93 Wahnbachtalsperrenverband, Germany 0.10 1 N/A
93 Institute for Hygiene and Environment, Germany 0.10 1 N/A
94 solutions4arctic, Germany 0.09 1 N/A
94 Hamburgische Schiffbau‐Versuchsanstalt GmbH (HSVA), Germany 0.09 1 N/A
95 Federal Foreign Office (AA), Germany 0.01 0.09 1 464.6%
96 Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V. (IASS), Germany 0.06 0.08 1 29.2%
96 University of Applied Sciences Emden/Leer, Germany 1.00 0.08 1 -91.9%
96 European Union Reference Laboratory (EU-RL) for Dioxins and PCBs in Feed and Food, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
96 Saalbau Weltraum Projekt, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
96 Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB), Germany 0.08 1 N/A
97 Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland" (IAR), Germany 0.09 0.08 1 -8.3%
98 Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany 0.08 1 N/A
99 Consulting-Geo, Germany 0.07 1 N/A
100 Kongsberg Maritime Contros GmbH, Germany 0.07 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.