Leiden astronomy professors Ewine van Dishoeck, winner of the Kavli prize 2018, and Tim de Zeeuw, former Director General of the European Southern Observatory, have set up a Named Fund to stimulate young talent in science, both at Leiden University and in the Netherlands Antilles. The couple recently put their signature on the Van Dishoeck-de Zeeuw Fund.

In a packed Grotius Hall, family and friends came together to pay tribute to young talent at Leiden University. The celebration was part of the annual Dies Natalis Festival for Alumni and gave dozens of visitors the chance to get to know a new generation of academics.

For almost 450 years Leiden has been challenging people to get the best out of themselves; to use their unique talents to create a better world. This applied to the great minds of the past and it also applies to the talented individuals of today and tomorrow.

Every year LUF receives project proposals from dozens of researchers at the University. We look at how innovative the project is, at its potential and its relevance to society. A subsidy from LUF is often a springboard for young talent, the first step on the path to bigger awards.

‘Support scientific talent with your legacy’. This is the slogan of the Leave a Legacy campaign that was recently launched by the 15 Dutch university funds. The funds hope to inform people about the different options for including university funds in their wills.

University lecturer in criminology and research fellow Dr Joni Reef can make a start on her research on family-focused work in criminal sentencing. She has been awarded a subsidy of €24,000 from the partnership between the LUF and the Gratama Foundation.

Michiel Veldhuis is looking for answers that our world urgently needs. As an ecologist working on the Liveable Planet interdisciplinary programme, he researches the impact of global climate change on the African savanna.

One of our talented researchers is Anne-Laura van Harmelen. As Professor of Brain, Safety and Resilience, she studies distressing childhood experiences, such as abuse, bullying or trauma.

Professor of Governance of Sustainability Eefje Cuppen researches sustainability transitions and takes social values such as equity and equality into account. How, for example, can we reduce CO2 in a way that is fair?