The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, BfR) offers doctoral candidates the opportunity to conduct research on current and applied topics with the support of state-of-the-art technical equipment. The dissertation project itself is registered at a university with the nomination of a university supervisor at the respective faculty.

The BfR provides scientific risk assessment of food and feed as well as of substances and

products as the basis for the Federal Government's consumer health protection. The BfR

performs the task of the "German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R)"

and coordinates all activities nationwide with the goals of limiting animal experiments to the

indispensable minimum and ensuring the best possible protection for laboratory animals.

The BfR has the legal mandate to conduct research insofar as this relates closely to its activities.

BfR’s research activities focus on the main areas stipulated by the legislator:

·        Assessment of food and feed with regard to microbiological and chemical substance safety

·        Safety of substances (chemicals), safety of pesticides and biocides

·        Safety of consumer products (cosmetics, tobacco products, textiles, consumer items and food packaging)

·        Development, assessment and validation of alternatives to animal experiments

·        Risk communication

The further and advanced training programme within the BfR doctoral training programme promotes the development of a specific and generic profile of doctoral candidates. The programme has a modular structure that allows flexible organisation and individualised prioritisation.