About us

The Sociological Research Institute Göttingen (SOFI) e. V. was founded in 1968 as a registered non-profit and non-commercial research institution. Since 1983, SOFI is a research institute affiliated with the University of Göttingen and, since 2000 an associated partner of "Göttingen Campus".

SOFI conducts research on work, public goods, and social cohesion, thus providing valuable insights for a democratic shaping of society. Its work bridges applied and basic research, addressing key contemporary issues: Projects examine topics such as digitalisation and vocational education, as well as the consequences of precarious employment and social inequality. Recently, sociological research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts of socio-ecological transformation has been growing in importance.

Interdisciplinary research networks are playing an increasingly significant role at SOFI: Since 2020, it has been one of eleven locations of the nationwide Research Institute for Social Cohesion (FGZ). In addition, SOFI actively contributes—both in terms of personnel and research—to the COVID-19 Research Network Lower Saxony (COFONI), the "Future Lab Society & Work" at the Centre for Digital Innovations Lower Saxony (ZDIN), and the Energy Research Center of Lower Saxony (EFZN).

The institute's work is structured around three research areas and two cross-cutting focus themes: