The Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) is a large research institute in the city of Dresden, Germany. It is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres and focuses on nuclear physics and materials research.
The institute was founded in 1992 as the Kernforschungszentrum Rossendorf e.V. (KFR), a non-profit research organisation. In 2009, it became a public-law institution and was renamed the HZDR.
The HZDR employs around 1,200 people from over 50 nations, making it one of the largest employers in Dresden’s science and technology sector. The institute has an annual budget of approximately €140 million.
The HZDR comprises five main departments: Nuclear Physics, Materials Science, Radiation Biology, Information Technology, and Administration & Finance. These departments are further divided into a number of institutes and laboratories.
The Nuclear Physics department investigates the structure and properties of nuclei and nuclear matter under extreme conditions using both experimental and theoretical approaches. This department is home to the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research which is operated jointly with Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.
The Materials Science department studies the behaviour of materials under extreme conditions such as high temperatures or strong magnetic fields. This department also runs the High Field Magnet Laboratory Dresden (HLD), which houses some of the world’s most powerful superconducting magnets.
Radiation Biology studies how living organisms are affected by ionising radiation, with a focus on developing new cancer therapies using particle beams..
Information Technology provides technical support for all aspects of HZDR operations, including data acquisition, processing, storage, archival, and dissemination