The National Institute for Subatomic Physics Nikhef plays an exemplary connecting role in the Dutch research landscape. So judges an international committee in its six-year SEP evaluation.
The National Institute for Subatomic Physics Nikhef plays an exemplary role in the Dutch research landscape. So judges an international committee in its six-year SEP evaluation.
“Nikhef provides a platform for scientific and social debate and is a bastion of technical support,” said review committee chairman Eckhard Elsen in his foreword. “Nikhef is the large-scale workshop in subatomic physics where ideas become reality.”
The committee says, Nikhef adds great value to the scientific work of universities. “A shining example of an institute, which embraces research efforts of universities and adds value.”
Nikhef director Stan Bentvelsen says he is pleased and proud with the evaluation committee’s verdict, which has since also been discussed with the NWO board and Nikhef management.
The review committee visited the institute for two days in late 2023 and said it was impressed by the consistency in meetings and presentations.
The review report finds that the form of collaboration between the six university partners and Nikhef works extremely efficiently and maximizes the impact of the work. The committee calls the previously published Nikhef strategy ambitious but sound, and something that allows Nikhef to continue to play its prominent role.
That, the committee said, does come with the condition that there is sufficient base funding for the collaboration. “It would be naive to think the excellent long-term infrastructure and scientific elaboration can be achieved with ad hoc funding of short-term projects.”
Net, the committee notes, the proportion of core funding has declined over the years, reducing the return on investment in infrastructure and making it more difficult for Nikhef to continue its coordinating role. Uncertain short-term funding makes it difficult to make full scientific use of existing instruments and experiments.
The Netherlands, the committee also argues, could seek a new vision for long-term investment in research based on Nikhef’s experience. It also says it is impressed by the scientific productivity and quality.
The SEP committee also emphasizes that Nikhef has a natural lead role in the efforts to realize the Einstein Telescope in the border region. In this effort, the support of ministries and government is indispensable, especially where politics come into play.
The committee also urges a more active role for Nikhef in discussions about the future of CERN and, in particular, a successor to the LHC accelerator. This has already begun in the run-up to a new European strategy for particle physics.