The idea for the Research Focus Group orininated on the first NK cell Symposium in Heidelberg in December 2006. After a formal application to the German Societ for Immunology the idea of the Research Focus Group was presented to the speakers of the existing Research Focus Group on the annual meeting of the German Society for Immunology in September of 2007. After the recommendation by the speakers of the existing Research Focus Group the Board of the German Society for Immunology decided on their meeting in March of 2008 to create this new Research Focus Group. At the second NK cell Symposium in Bad Herrenalb the Research Focus Group NK cells was then formally brought to life and Carsten Watzl was elected as speaker. At the NK cell Symposium 2012 in Heidelberg, Carsten Watzl was re-elected as speaker and Adelheid Cerwenka was elected as second speaker of the Study Group. At the NK cell Symposium 2015 in Göttingen, Adelheid Cerwenka was elected as spokesperson and Roland Jacobs as vice spokesperson of the Research Focus Group.