Download Strategy and research topics NWO research institutes

Overview strategy and research topics NWO research institutes – WISE
AMOLF
FOM Institute AMOLF is one of the national research institutes of the Foundation for Fundamental
Research on Matter (FOM), which is part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
(NWO). AMOLF is located at the Science Park in Amsterdam, in close proximity of the University of
Amsterdam and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
The research program of AMOLF is focused on the physics of functional matter, and brings together
physics, chemistry, biology, materials sciences and engineering. Important aspects of the research at
AMOLF are the development and use of advanced scientific instrumentation and quantitative
modelling. Central to the mission of AMOLF is the start of promising research directions that are new
to the Netherlands. Present research themes at AMOLF include Nanophotonics, i.e. the study and
control of light at the nanoscale, Designer Matter, i.e. the study of novel materials with special
properties deriving from their architecture, and Living Matter, i.e. the biophysics of living systems at
the cellular and multicellular scale. The research program of AMOLF finds applications in sustainable
energy, health, high-tech instrumentation and advanced materials, and food. In the coming years
there will be a strong focus on novel cooperative research projects within and between the different
themes.
For starting tenure-track group leaders, a generous start-up package will be made available.
Candidates are advised to contact the institute for further information on the available infrastructure
for nanofabrication, molecular and cellular biophysics, and ultrafast spectroscopy.
www.amolf.nl
ARCNL
ARCNL - Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography is a public-private partnership between the
Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the VU
University Amsterdam (VU) and the semiconductor equipment manufacturer ASML. ARCNL is located
at the Science Park Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and is currently building up towards a size of
approximately 100 scientists and support staff.
ARCNL focuses on the fundamental physics and chemistry involved in current and future key
technologies in nanolithography, primarily for the semiconductor industry. The research program of
ARCNL is devoted to a wide spectrum of fundamental research topics, such as the generation of
intense laser light, the interaction between ultrashort light pulses and matter, extremely non-linear
optical phenomena, advanced fluid dynamics, plasma dynamics, the physics of surfaces, interfaces
and ultra-thin films (down to a single atom thick), photochemistry and lensless microscopy. These
research areas are brought together by ARCNL in a coherent fashion, each at the highest scientific
level and combined with a clear focus on potential applications.
www.arcnl.nl
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ASTRON
The main mission of ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy is to make discoveries in
radio astronomy happen, via the development of new and innovative technologies, the operation of
world-class radio astronomy facilities, and the pursuit of fundamental astronomical research.
Engineers and astronomers at ASTRON have an outstanding international reputation for novel
technology development, and fundamental research in galactic and extra-galactic astronomy.
ASTRON’s Astronomy Group is a scientifically rich environment with strong ties to technical
development in the domain of radio astronomy both within the institute and internationally. The
Astronomy Group is engaged in many frontline research areas ranging from the closest to the most
distant Universe.
ASTRON’s Research and Development department has technical scientists in the field of RF systems,
digital signal processing, high performance computing and photonics. Technical research is done in
close
collaboration with universities and private partners. ASTRON operates the LOFAR telescope and the
WSRT with the new focal-plane array system (APERTIF).
www.astron.nl
CWI
Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) is the national research institute for mathematics and
computer science in the Netherlands. CWI aims to strengthen the interaction between fundamental
research questions and societal challenges. To achieve this, the institute concentrates on
cooperation with industrial partners, with a focus on five priority areas: Software, Information, Life
Sciences, Logistics, and Energy.
CWI is an international player in developing new insights and ideas in mathematics and computer
science. The institute provides room for high-risk, high-profit pioneering research that has the
potential to make a fundamental difference in science, society and industry in the longer term, like
quantum computing and novel forms of cryptology.
The institute is a talent pool for both young talents and senior researchers who are inspired by
societal and industrial challenges. CWI transfers its knowledge through cooperation with national
and international partners, such as European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics
(ERCIM), open access to scientific publications, and the development of innovative software tools
and international technical standards.
CWI is located at Amsterdam Science Park and is part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific
Research (NWO). More than 30 of its 150 researchers are also employed as professors at universities.
The institute has generated twenty-four spin-off companies.
www.cwi.nl
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DIFFER (please note: DIFFER is not participating in round 2016)
DIFFER - Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research conducts leading fundamental research in
the fields of fusion energy and solar fuels, in close partnership with academia and industry. To
successfully transfer fundamental insights to society at large, we are actively building an energy
science society through the formation of multidisciplinary networks. DIFFER is part of the
Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO).
The demand for sustainable, relevant energy solutions is considerable and grows every year. At
DIFFER, we are working on a future in which clean energy will be available to everybody, anywhere in
the world. DIFFER is helping to make this possible through its fundamental scientific research into
new and improved energy supplies for the future. Our research focuses on two major energy themes:
generating clean power from fusion energy, and solar fuels as a way to convert sustainable energy
cleanly and efficiently into fuels for storage and transport.
To transfer fundamental insights to practical applications, DIFFER is working together with industry
and knowledge partners with various backgrounds: physicists, chemists, engineers and other
specialists. In line with the crossdisciplinary nature of the energy research, the scientific staff of
DIFFER is multidisciplinarily oriented with disciplines such as physics, chemistry, engineering and
materials science.
www.differ.nl
Nikhef
The mission of the National Institute for Subatomic Physics Nikhef is to study the interactions and
structure of all elementary particles and fields at the smallest distance scale and the highest
attainable energy. Two complementary approaches are followed:
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Accelerator-based particle physics: studying interactions in particle collision processes at
particle accelerators, in particular at CERN;
Astroparticle physics: studying interactions of particles and radiation emanating from the
Universe.
Nikhef coordinates and leads the Dutch experimental activities in these fields. The research at Nikhef
relies on the development of innovative technologies. The knowledge and technology transfer to
third parties, i.e., industry, civil society and general public, is an integral part of Nikhef’s mission.
Nikhef's mission is translated into actual participation in experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at
CERN, notably ATLAS, LHCb and ALICE. Astroparticle physics activities at Nikhef are the KM3NeT
neutrino telescope project in the Mediterranean Sea, the Pierre Auger Observatory for cosmic rays in
Argentina, Gravitational-wave detection via the Virgo interferometer in Italy, and the direct search
for Dark Matter with the XENON detector in the Gran Sasso laboratory in Italy. Detector research and
development, design and construction take place in our own laboratories. For scientific data analysis,
Nikhef hosts a Tier-1 grid facility. Nikhef has a theory group with both its own research programme
and close contacts with the experimental groups.
www.nikhef.nl
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NIOZ
NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research is the national oceanographic institute in the
Netherlands. At our research facilities about 300 people from 27 nationalities perform academically
excellent multidisciplinary research, both fundamental and frontier applied. Together we aim to
improve our knowledge of open oceans, coastal seas and delta areas: for a better understanding of
our planet.
Our headquarter on Texel is home to three scientific departments: Marine Microbiology &
Biogeochemistry (MMB), Ocean Systems (OCS) and Coastal Systems (CS). Our department Estuarine
& Delta Systems (EDS) is located in Yerseke, in the province of Zeeland.
In our science plan ‘Mission Blue Planet, 2014-2020’ we define two main research themes: ‘The
changing ocean system, past, present and future’ and ‘Adaptability of marine ecosystems in a
changing world.’ Our research on the changing ocean has four principal research priorities: ‘Past
ocean dynamics’, ‘Ocean circulation and sea-level variability’, ‘Exploring changing marine
biogeochemical cycling,’ and ‘Assessing the impact of human activities on ocean systems’. Our
research on the adaptability of marine ecosystems in times of change also has four scientific
priorities: ‘Changing habitats’, ‘Changing marine food webs and connectivity’, ‘Exploring deep marine
microbiology,’ and ‘Evolving seafloor ecosystems’.
The Royal NIOZ serves as a national marine research facilitator, supports multidisciplinary marine
research and educational programmes, and is a science partner to (inter)national marine policy
makers.
www.nioz.nl
NSCR
The Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) studies crime and law
enforcement, using an interdisciplinary approach. Our research revolves around three central
questions:
- Who commits crime and why?
- Where and when do they commit crime and why?
- How is responded (most effectively) to these crimes?
NSCR researchers employ a life-course approach to the study of criminal careers, focusing on the
impact of important life transitions as well as intergenerational influences. We study offenders' crime
location choice and the spatio-temporal processes underlying criminal offending, including the role
of victims, offenders and bystanders in criminal events. Our studies deal with a wide range of crime
types: from violent crimes to burglaries, from cybercrime to wildlife crime, from stalking to terrorism.
We also conduct empirical legal studies with a special focus on sanctions, ranging from incarceration
to suspended sentences.
Next to our large-scale studies using crime register data, we employ innovative methods of data
collection and analysis, including smartphone survey apps with GPS tracking, the study of how crime
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unfolds using CCTV footage, crime scenario studies in VR environments, and the use of artificial
intelligence for crowd control.
NSCR researchers come from a variety of disciplines such as law, sociology, mathematics,
econometrics, anthropology, and psychology. Our research is interdisciplinary and conducted in close
collaboration with researchers from the Netherlands and abroad.
www.nscr.nl
SRON (please note: SRON is not participating in round 2016)
The mission of SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research is to bring about breakthroughs in
international space research. Therefore the institute develops pioneering technology and advanced
space instruments, and uses them to pursue fundamental astrophysical research, Earth science and
exoplanetary research. As national expertise institute SRON gives counsel to the Dutch government
and coordinates - from a science standpoint - national contributions to international space missions.
SRON stimulates the implementation of space science in our society.
www.sron.nl
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