It is a cooperation between the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College and the Helmut Schmidt University (HSU) and is intended to serve as a think tank for the future of the Armed Forces of Germany.

[1][2] The Institute's board of directors is equally staffed by the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College and the Helmut Schmidt University.

[3] The GIDS is intended to bridge the gap between basic research at the Helmut Schmidt University and the processing of military issues at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College.

HSU and GIDS are connected to the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences via the "Network for Interdisciplinary Conflict Analysis" (NIKA).

The task of this advisory board is to advise the institute's management, in particular with regard to the definition of research priorities and initiatives and their relevance to strategic consulting needs.