Private collectors John Steegh en Harrie Teunissen have donated their entire collection of maps, city plans and atlases to the Leiden University Libraries (UBL). The collection consists of circa 17,000 map sheets and 2,300 atlases and travel guides. This can be considered as an important addition to the map collections of UBL, which largely consists of the maps Johannes Tiberius Bodel Nijenhuis (1797-1827) bequeathed to the University Library.

Purpose

The purpose of the fund is to continue enriching the collection with suitable new assets, restore items and digitise the collection.

The purpose of the Fund is to preserve all the books and letters of Prof. G.J.P. Bolland in the Leiden University Library. The Fund also supports the study of Bolland’s life and work by giving access to the archives and promoting the publication of a complete edition of Bolland’s works.

The Caribbean Collections fund was established in 2022.

Purpose

The purpose of the fund is to make special acquisitions in the field of the Caribbean; to make accessible, digitise and present the existing and newly acquired collections at Leiden University Libraries; and to promote teaching and research based on these collections.

The Dr A.M. Blok Fund was established with a bequest from Marianne van Silfhout-Blok, LL.M., who died on 3 October 2000. The Fund is named in honour of her father, Dr A.M. Blok, who studied medicine at Leiden University from 1918 to 1926. After obtaining his PhD in 1931, he practised as a neurologist in The Hague. Two of his children, B.M.N. van Silfhout-Blok and Dr A.P.R. Blok, are also alumni of Leiden University.

Purpose

The Fund offers grants for Leiden University students who are going to study or conduct academic research at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Application process

Students who are interested in studying at Queen’s University (in principle, for one semester) can send their application to the International Relations department of the Student and Educational Affairs (SEA) expertise centre. Candidates who are eligible after a selection procedure (the deadline is 1 December each year) must also have their application accepted by Queen’s University. Students who are selected in this way can then apply for a grant from the Dr A.M. Blok Fund via the LISF (LUF International Study Fund) procedure. 

Contact details

• SEA expertise centre: studyabroad@sea.leidenuniv.nl (Gaye Eksen)
• LUF: lisf@LUF.leideuniv.nl (Inge Erkelens)

The Dr C.L. van Steeden Fund was created by a testamentary disposition of Mrs M. van Steeden-Smith on 18 January 1944, in memory of her husband Dr C.L. van Steeden, a physician in Wassenaar. The Fund’s capital was transferred to the Leiden University Fund (LUF) in November 2004. 

Purpose

The Fund provides grants for study and/or groundbreaking work of a spiritual, scientific or artistic nature.

The Fund Southeast-Asian Collections fund was established in 2022.

Purpose

The purpose of the fund is to make special acquisitions possible in the field of Dutch colonial history up to the year 1950 and in the field of history of Southeast Asia; to make accessible and present the existing and newly acquired collections at Leiden University Libraries; and to promote teaching and research based on these collections.

This named fund was established in 2023 based on the assets of the dissolved Foundation for the Promotion of the Study of China at Leiden University.

Purpose

The objective of the fund is to promote the study of China at Leiden University in the broadest sense. The fund aims to achieve this goal by providing financial contributions for research projects and for scientific conferences, symposia, workshops and other scientific meetings and by providing financial contributions to lecturers, PhD candidates and students in the field of China Studies.

The Hakkenberg αβγ Integration Fund was established on 5 December 2019, funded by a donation by Ms Anneke Hakkenberg. The events of the Second World War made Ms Hakkenberg realise that the best way to gain freedom was to be smarter than the soldiers who were in control of the city. After the war, she decided to study mathematics at Leiden University so that she could take full advantage of her newly acquired freedom of choice. After completing her studies, she dedicated herself to applied research and to investigating how she could contribute to this field, in her role as a pure mathematician. This contribution took the form of using mathematical reasoning and insights to clarify texts.  

Purpose

The purpose of the Fund is to facilitate the application of fundamental mathematical and logical concepts across the entire spectrum of scientific disciplines. Mathematics can be used to prove that something does not exist or cannot exist, but it does not prove that something can exist. That is a task for researchers from other disciplines who have the knowledge and creativity needed for this. The results of the collaboration between researchers from various knowledge domains call for an understanding of each other's possibilities and limitations. Every success is the result of a joint effort made up of closely interwoven individual contributions. 

In principle, any project that applies mathematical building blocks to topics of scientific and/or social relevance is eligible for funding. The focus is on collaborative efforts, preferably with other faculties and disciplines.

Applications are welcome from students of mathematics or other subjects who wish to undertake such projects, as well as from scientists and supervisors who contribute to the success of the projects.

The Herman J. Coster Fund was founded in 1901 in memory of this Leiden University alumnus, who died on 21 October 1899 and is presumed to have played a part in establishing the Leiden University Fund (LUF). The Fund was managed by the Senate of Leiden University until 1937, when it was transferred to the LUF. 

Purpose

The Fund’s purpose is to promote the interests of South African students who are studying at Leiden University, whenever this may be required. Since 1937 the Fund has also been responsible for maintaining the commemorative plaque on one of the walls of the Academy Square.

Ingeborg H.A. Kneip, MA designated the LUF as the sole beneficiary of her will and asked the LUF to use her estate for the Bibliotheca Thysiana Foundation. The Fund was established in 2020 after her bequest was received. Ms Kneip worked for most of her life as a staff member at Delft University of Technology. While working in this full-time position, she also studied German; after her retirement, she studied History at Leiden University. This latter study included a visit to the Bibliotheca Thysiana, which left such a deep impression on her that she decided to bequeath her estate to this library. She wrote: ‘I hope the library can use this to fund a purchase that otherwise would not have been possible. […] You can see it as a form of gratitude to Dutch society and Leiden University for offering me and other older students the opportunity to continue their éducation permanente.’

Purpose

The Fund’s purpose is to provide financial support to the Bibliotheca Thysiana Foundation; this includes making funds available for purchasing works and for their restoration, funding academic research projects and offering fellowships that cannot be funded in another way. Applications are made by the curatorium of the Bibliotheca Thysiana Foundation.

The J.J. van Enter, LL.M. Fund ‘Pro Universitate’ was established in 2010 with a gift from Mr J.J. van Enter, LL.M. and supports the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

Purpose

The revenue from the Fund can be used for a range of purposes, including:

• providing scholarships to exceptionally gifted and deserving students and PhD candidates;
• contributing to the costs of study trips relating to theses and academic works;
• supporting academic investigations of acquiring valuable academic works and manuscripts that are of interest to the University Library.

The Leiden Empowerment Fund (LEF) was established with the aim of creating an academic environment with equal opportunities for everyone. An environment in which people with different backgrounds and qualities will inspire and motivate one another. An environment where every talent (large or small) can feel at home.

When Carel Stolker, the former Rector Magnificus, stepped down on 8 February 2021, he asked for a contribution to the LEF as his gift. Donations can still be made via Carel's wish.

Purpose

The purpose of the Fund is to enable researchers and students at Leiden University to fully realise their ambitions, regardless of their gender, cultural background, sexual orientation or physical disabilities. It does this by creating equal opportunities for everyone.

First-generation students and researchers, whether or not they have a migration background, encounter a range of obstacles during their studies or research. They may have considerably less access to networks within and outside the University, and a lack of financial resources often hinders their studies or research. Care responsibilities can also form a barrier: researchers with these usually have a lower academic output, while such students are much less likely to gain experience of studying abroad. Offering networking opportunities, setting up buddy systems and awarding grants for periods of study or research abroad are all examples of how we can combat inequality of opportunity and facilitate our students and researchers in their empowerment!

The Lingling Wiyadharma Fund for Indonesian Studies was established in 2022 by Mr H.R. van der Valk. He studied law in Leiden and established the fund in memory of his wife.

Purpose

The purpose of the fund is to promote the use and management of the University Library’s Indonesian collections, among others by establishing fellowships, preferably for young researchers (PhD candidates, postdocs, junior researchers), and a chair for a senior visiting scholar from abroad.

The LUC Foundation was established in 2018 by Leiden University College The Hague (LUC).

Purpose

The purpose of the Fund is to support students and projects of the LUC, more specifically to provide scholarships for LUC students and funding for LUC projects. These various projects relate to education, research, equipment and facilities of the LUC, all in the broadest sense of the word. More information.

This Fund was established by the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation, an organisation whose aim is to improve the dialogue between Europe and the Arab world. The present chairman, Salim Rabbani, is the son of Mahmoud Rabbani, who created the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation.

Purpose

The Lutfia Rabbani Foundation, in partnership with the LUF, supports excellent students who have a strong motivation to promote Euro-Arab dialogue. Each year, the Fund provides one full scholarship to a student from an Arab country who wishes to follow an advanced master’s programme at Leiden University. The student is additionally offered a mentoring programme and given access to the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation’s extensive and diverse network. 

More information

If you have any questions, please contact Klaartje Sluijs via k.sluijs@LUF.leidenuniv.nl. 

This Fund was established by the LUF in conjunction with the SVM (Foundation for Packaging and the Environment) for students with innovative, unexpected and exceptional insights related to the theme of packaging and the environment. The aim is to offer space for their ideas about finding the right balance between consumer convenience and environmental footprint. The SVM Packaging and Environment Scholarship is open to master’s students at Leiden University.

Each year, the LUF and SVM ask for applications from master’s students with surprising ideas and high-impact project proposals related to this theme. Important criteria are: more user-friendly for consumers and minimal environmental footprint. This can result from the packaging design, prevention of packaging, new or different forms of reprocessing and/or creative ideas for the waste phase. In short: ‘out of the box’.

Together with the SVM, the LUF provides funding to encourage projects relating to research and education in the area of packaging and the environment. 

The Minerva Class of 1957 Alumni Fund was established in 2007 by Minerva and LSC alumni of the Class of 1957, on the occasion of their 50^th anniversary. In 2011 the Minerva and LSC alumni of the Class of 1961 joined in with this initiative, and in 2015 also the alumni of the Class of 1965.

Purpose

The Fund is used for the annual Leiden University Thesis Prizes. Three prizes can be awarded: the first prize is worth €3,000, the second €2,000 and the third €1,000.

The original foundation was established in 1975, when J.J. van Walsem, LL.M. bequeathed a capital sum to the State of the Netherlands. The capital was held by the foundation, which was managed by the Leiden University Fund (LUF). In May 2002 this foundation merged with the LUF and became a named fund. The J.J. van Walsem Fund supports the humanities and social sciences at the University. 

Purpose

The Fund’s purpose is to promote research at Leiden University in the areas of law, economics, sociology, literature, philosophy and theology, giving special priority to law and economics. The Fund endeavours to achieve its goal by:

• providing scholarships to exceptionally gifted and deserving Dutch or Swiss students;
• in specific situations, contributing to the costs of printing or otherwise reproducing theses and academic works;
• contributing to the costs of study trips relating to theses and academic works;
• supporting academic investigations of acquiring valuable academic works and manuscripts that are of interest to the University Library.

The M. Enthoven Fund was established on 9 May 2014 by the Enthoven Foundation Inc. 

Purpose

The Fund pays a Keyholder donation from M. Enthoven ‘for life’. After his death, the revenue from the Fund will benefit the growth and prosperity of Leiden University. The Executive Board of the LUF will determine how the Fund is used. 

Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) was a world-renowned Sinologist, diplomat and author. With the establishment of the fund named after him; the heirs of R.H. van Gulik pay tribute to their father.

Purpose

In a general sense, the fund is intended to strengthen the study of the Sinological collections within Leiden University Library, in particular the study of the life and work of Robert van Gulik based on his collections and archives managed at Leiden University Libraries. This can take the form of fellowships, stipends or grants for students and researchers, which will be based at the Scaliger Institute of Leiden University Libraries. Collections of and about Robert van Gulik that are managed by other institutions can also be (partly) the subject of these studies.

The fund also aims to promote awareness of the Sinological collections in general, and in particular the collection and archive of Robert van Gulik.

The Fund was established for the purpose of exclusively purchasing special Chinese books and/or manuscripts for the Special Collections of Leiden University Library, in the form of one or two unique acquisitions of exceptional and substantial value. If an envisaged purchase involves a wish for digitisation or a need for restoration, these actions can also be financed from the Fund.

Purpose

The money from the Fund can be used as follows:

1. Primarily: to acquire special Chinese books or manuscripts for the Special Collections of Leiden University Library. 
2. Secondarily: to preserve the purchased object(s).
3. Secondarily: digitisation of the purchased object(s).

The Rombouts Fund for the Chinese Special Collections in the Leiden University Libraries was established in 2020 by Mr P.A. Rombouts, MA, who had previously established the Rombouts Fund for Chinese Special Collections (2017) and the Rombouts Fund for Chinese Studies (2010). His interest in the Chinese language was inspired by the Judge Dee novels of Robert van Guliks, and from 1980 to 1986 he studied Chinese at Leiden University. He then worked in China and Hong Kong for more than twenty years, during which time he became well acquainted with the culture and built up a collection of Chinese books and objects. Rombouts worked for many years as a volunteer in the University Library, where he sought to improve the accessibility of Chinese books. He also published translations from Chinese history and literature.

Purpose

The purpose of the Fund is to augment the collections in the area of Chinese history and culture, and thus to promote education and research in this field, all in the broadest sense of the terms. This relates explicitly to heritage collections and not to art collections. Applications to the fund are made by Leiden University Libraries.

The ‘Ouwe’ Fund was established in memory of Willem Arnold Ouwerkerk, LL.M. – known to his friends as 'Ouwe' – who was 28 years old when he died of a brain tumour on 8 January 1994, soon after his graduation. Arnold Ouwerkerk thoroughly enjoyed his years at Leiden University, where he made many friends and was able to complete his study programme, despite increasing physical disabilities. He was greatly helped in this by the understanding that his teachers showed for his situation.

Purpose

The purpose of the ‘Ouwe’ Fund is to provide financial support to Leiden University students who need additional facilities to participate fully in university life  due to a (chronic) illness or other physical disability.

The Van Bergen Fund was established in 2005, on the retirement of Joris E.J. van Bergen, M.Eng., Vice-President of the Executive Board of Leiden University. The Fund’s capital consists of the retirement gifts from individuals and organisations, a University grant and a contribution from Mr and Mrs van Bergen. In 2012, the capital was transferred to the Leiden University Fund (LUF).

Purpose

The Fund’s purpose is to promote contact between Dutch and international students with the aim of increasing their understanding of each other’s cultures and thus helping to prepare them for professional and social interactions in international environments after their graduation

Up-to-date information about the  Van Bergen Fund can be found on the Leiden University website.

Scholars all around the world are threatened because of their work, ideas or critical questions. Protecting these scholars and their academic freedom is of great importance to a free and prosperous society. The Fund for Scholars at Risk was established in 2014 and provides temporary shelter for scholars in need. They can thus continue to work or study in a safe environment.

Purpose

The VVJF 3: Fund for Scholars at Risk supports the University in its aim to provide a safe haven for colleagues in need.