Department Risk Communication

BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has the statutory remit for risk communication and informs the public at large about possible health risks and the research findings on which they are based in the fields of food, chemical and product safety. To this end BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment enters into an active dialogue with various stakeholders from science, trade and industry, political circles, the media, associations, non-governmental organisations and consumers. Besides target-group orientated press and public relations, this communication process entails the active involvement of various interest groups in expert meetings, status seminars, consumer protection fora, stakeholder conferences and public symposia.

The interdisciplinary Risk Communication Department conducts research projects on risk perception, early risk detection and risk impact assessment for instance in the fields of new technologies like nanotechnology, changes in nutritional behaviour of consumers following risk communication or the ranking of risks by various social interest groups. The tools used here are representative surveys, consumer conferences, Delphi surveys and focus groups.

The Risk Communication Department comprises seven units:

• External Link:Study Centre Social Science Research

• External Link:Junior Research Group Social Research

• External Link:Crisis Prevention and Coordination

• External Link:Sociology of Risk and Risk Benefit Appraisal

• External Link:Press and Public Relations

• External Link:Scientific Event Management

• External Link:Visual Communication