The Federal Ministry of Education and Research, abbreviated BMBF, is a cabinet-level ministry of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is headquartered in Bonn, with an office in Berlin. The Ministry provides funding for research projects and institutions, regulates nuclear energy, and sets general educational policy. It also provides student loans in Germany. However, a large part of educational policy in Germany is decided at the state level, strongly limiting the influence of the ministry in educational matters.HistoryThe Federal Ministry for Atomic Issues was established in 1955, concentrating on research in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ministry was renamed in 1962 to Federal Ministry of Scientific Research, with a broader scope; it was renamed again, to Federal Ministry of Education and Science, in 1969.A separate ministry, the Federal Ministry of Research and Technology, was established in 1972. The two Ministries merged in 1994 to form the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology; this title was shortened to Federal Ministry for Education and Research in 1998.OrganizationThe BMBF currently has eight departments . These are in addition to the central department that is responsible for administrative tasks: Office 1: Strategies and Policy Issues Office 2: European and international cooperation in education and research Office 3: Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning Office 4: Science Office 5: Key Technologies - Research for Innovation Office 6: Life Sciences - Research for Health Office 7: Provision for the Future - Research on Culture, Basic Science and Sustainability Each department consists of one or two sub-divisions and 10 to 15 units. The greater part of the subdivision is located at the Bonn office, the smaller part of the Berlin office. Employs about 900 people, the BMBF. The Minister for Education and Research Annette Schavan. In addition, include two parliamentary secretaries and two civil servants lead the staff.