Dorothee Bär

Dorothee Bär has been the Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space under the government of Friedrich Merz since 2025. Bär has been a member of the German Bundestag for the Christian Social Union (CSU) since 2002. She obtained her diploma in political science from the universities in Munich and Berlin. In her role as Minister of the Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), Bär oversees the "National Decade against Post-infectious Diseases". The €500 mln research programme, initiated by the Federal Government at the end of 2025, aims to substantially improve the way in which Long COVID and ME/CFS are researched and ultimately treated. Spanning ten years, from 2026 to 2036, the programme is set to allocate €50 mln per year to targeted research, including cohort studies, genome research, as well as to basic and clinical research networks and projects with the aim to advance biomarkers, diagnostics and develop curative therapies.

Photo © Bundesregierung / Steffen Kugler