The Institute for Integral Studies (IFIS) is an independent research institute, yet linked to numerous universities in Germany and other European and non-European countries through its members and advisory board members. IFIS sees itself as a transnational, inter- and transdisciplinary think tank based on an integral understanding of science that recognizes the uniqueness and significance of a multitude of perspectives, relating them to each other and seeking overarching structures between them. As a vessel of a community of integral researchers, the Institute carries out basic, theoretical, and applied research. It acts as an experimental field for integral research and practice in a committed and respectful dialogue with various areas of society (e.g. science, politics, economics, art and religion). IFIS was founded in Freiburg/Breisgau on September 20, 2008, by ten integrally informed researchers and practitioners from Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. It was registered on November 25, 2008, as a non-profit association at the district court of Freiburg. Donations to support its work are fully tax-deductible.