Nearly 200 million for new research buildings and facilities

The Dutch Research Council (NWO) is investing €197 million in 11 large-scale research infrastructure projects that benefit both science and society. Leiden University and Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) participate in 8 of these projects.

The funding provided by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science enables the construction and renewal of essential research facilities. According to the ministry, advanced instruments, such as medical scanners and energy-system simulators, are crucial for world-class research. Government support helps lay the foundation for new scientific advances that strengthen the economy and address major societal challenges.

Projects involving Leiden University and LUMC

1. EMPower (Leiden University / LUMC)
   A national facility that advances electron microscopy to reveal molecular structures, boosting innovation in science and technology.

2. KM3NeT++ (Leiden University)
   A neutrino telescope on the Mediterranean Sea floor that studies the properties of these elusive particles and explores the universe through neutrino astronomy.

3. The Macroscope (Leiden University)
   A secure service that provides researchers access to large, interconnected datasets to study complex societal issues.

4. AMICE (LUMC)
   A nationwide imaging infrastructure developing new and improved techniques to study how the body functions and how diseases develop.

5. BioMotive (LUMC)
   A next-generation MRI system that scans the body upright and in motion, enabling realistic studies of muscles, bones, and the heart during movement.

6. BioBeyond_NL (LUMC)
   A facility offering advanced tools such as mass spectrometry and spatial biology to uncover the molecular complexity of cells and biological processes.

7. EBRAINS-Neurotech (LUMC)
   An infrastructure for developing neurotechnology, testing brain implants, and creating computational models to better understand and treat brain disorders.

8. Netherlands Cohort Consortium (LUMC)
   A data infrastructure combining health information from nearly half a million people to study chronic diseases, improve prevention, and support healthy ageing, with strong safeguards for privacy and data security.