Department I: Central Affairs and Public Relations

Department I draws together all central (administrative) matters and the budget. It coordinates, across all sections, issues around research promotion (controlling & quality management), the widely-publicised transfer of research findings (e.g. through publications, events, internet and social media) and around strategy development and innovation management.
As well as administering the available funding, Department I is responsible for steering cooperation with other federal authorities and for international affairs. It coordinates statements in response to questions submitted by, in particular, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community and by members of the German Bundestag.
Department I also acts as the central point of contact for all issues relating to associations of administrations with the Federal Statistical Office and the Federal Office of Administration, as well as for audits conducted by the Internal Auditing Department and the Bundesrechnungshof (German Supreme Audit Institution).

Department II: Research and Development – Sports and Performance, WVL

The tasks of Department II are aimed at optimising the activities of athletes, coaches and others with responsibility for training and competitions in high-performance sport in Germany – from young hopefuls to top athletes. The support athletes receive is intended to help them fully tap into their growth potential in terms of performance, health and personality.
Across all the BISp’s project support models we contribute to developing new knowledge, innovative products and technologies. The focus is on medical/biological, psychosocial and scientific/technological approaches.
As well as controlling the success of IAT and FES projects and coordinating them with BISp-funded projects, Department II is also responsible for conducting the tender procedure and advising and supporting innovation projects run by leading sports associations. Modern methods are applied to transfer project findings to the relevant target groups.

Department III: Research and Development – Sport and Society

Department III takes account of the sociopolitical importance of (high-performance) sport. We focus on topical issues such as values and integrity in sport, sports and sports facility development, sustainability in and through sport, the role of sport in society, the socioeconomic context, and education and training in sport.
In addition to supporting projects through the application and service research process, we initiate interdisciplinary tender projects that look at cross-sectional issues around sports policy and socio-political issues.
Another focus of the work of Department III is providing scientific policy advice by being involved in national and international working groups, specialist consultancy services, committees and EU expert groups. We collaborate on an ongoing basis with partners from the realms of science, politics and sports and organise numerous events, networking meetings and workshops to transfer the insights gained.

Department IV: Knowledge Management – Documentation, Information and Consultancy

Department IV is responsible for the ongoing transfer of insights from sport science. Our dedicated sport information portal SURF provides information about the current state of national and international research – free of charge and value free. You can use it to search for sports-related publications, projects, audiovisual media and online sources.
Department IV is also responsible for the day-to-day media monitoring of sports-related issues in politics, sports and society. The result of this monitoring is made available either as an exclusive service (press archive) for policymakers or via a list of free, publicly accessible links (BISp Online News).
These services all help lay the foundation for the production of topic-related material and the transfer of knowledge and insights gained so as to be able to provide comprehensive consultancy to those working in sports policy, science and sports practice in the spirit of a more humane concept of (high-performance) sports.

PotAS - Office

As part of the reform of high-performance sport the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community (BMI) and the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) established the Potential Analysis Committee (PotAS Committee). It analyses the potential of all leading Olympic sports associations by discipline and provides a database on which decisions concerning the distribution of public funding can be made (www.potas.de).

The PotAS Office supports the scientific and administrative work of the PotAS Committee. The Office is organisationally affiliated to the BISp and has its seat in Bonn. It acts as a communications hub for all the stakeholders involved in the system of potential analyses. Its staff support the PotAS Committee in all organisational matters, conduct preliminary analyses and background research, and administer its data management system.

WVL Knowledge Management Service Point

The Scientific Network for High-Performance Sport (WVL) is tasked with providing wide-ranging performance development support, to which end it provides the best knowledge management system for high-performance sport in Germany. To be able to systematically pursue that goal, the WVL Committee (BMI/DOSB) took the decision to establish the WVL Knowledge Management Service Point based in the BISp in Bonn. The DOSB and the BISp are jointly responsible for the planning, coordination and moderation of all relevant knowledge management formats in the WVL that are operatively implemented by the Service Point and network partners.

The Service Point sees itself as an independent, supportive moderator and coordinator. It acts as a central point of contact to accompany knowledge management processes in the WVL, networks all the relevant stakeholders, promotes communication and provides an overview of what know-how is available. By taking up and coordinating ideas around the topic of knowledge management, the Service Point also provides valuable assistance when it comes to registering needs and efficiently using available resources. Another key aspect is the development, administration and operation of the relevant WVL knowledge management platforms. The overall goal of the Service Point is thus to give all the stakeholders in the WVL easier access to the relevant knowledge and information they need.

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