The IWR management and decision-making structures have three levels:

A Managing Director is responsible for the management and official representation of the IWR. The managing director reports directly to the rector of the Ruprecht-Karls University.

The managing director is a member of the Managing Board of Directors which is responsible for all ongoing decisions and meets approximately every month. The managing director and the members of the board are appointed by the rector of the university for a term of three years, based on a proposal by the extended board of directors of the IWR.

The Extended Board of Directors consists of all 52 research group leaders, who are members of the IWR also appointed by the rector. The extended board of directors is responsible for all strategic decisions. Their vote overrules decisions of the two other levels.

Today, the IWR integrates 52 research groups from the faculties for mathematics and computer science, engineering sciences, physics and astronomy, chemistry and earth sciences, and medicine. Of these, 14 research groups are members of the “core” unit, i.e., they are located on the premises of the IWR and have their budgets there. In addition, another 38 research groups reside at different university institutes but are (“associate”) members of equal right and duties.