The NW-FVA is a joint research organisation for the states of Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein.

The NW-FVA is responsible for applied forest research and for advising forest owners, forest enterprises, administrations and politics in the participating states. It is in charge of 2.7 million hectare of forest, which comprises almost a quarter of the forests in Germany.

At its two locations in Göttingen and Hann. Münden, 135 permanent employees are serving the forest estate and its owners. A varying number of temporary employees are also engaged for short-term projects.

The NW-FVA is divided into five departments: Forest Growth, Forest Protection, Forest Genetic Resources, Environmental Control and Forest Nature Conservation .

The core competencies of the NW-FVA are long-term monitoring, applied research and the transfer of knowledge. Their remit is orientated to the needs of forestry practice.

Climate change, globalisation and the increasing demands of society on the forest are among the main challenges today and for the future. The complex issues which arise are tackled in interdisciplinary teams, both within the NW-FVA itself, and in collaboration with other research institutes and universities in Germany and across Europe.