Official opening FOM institute for fundamental energy research DIFFER
On 16 April, Halbe Zijlstra, State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science, will open the new FOM Institute for fundamental energy research DIFFER (Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research) during a symposium in Nieuwegein. DIFFER is the successor to the FOM Institute for Plasma Physics Rijnhuizen, which was the Dutch centre for top research into nuclear physics for 52 years. Last year FOM and NWO decided to broaden the institute's mission.
Science for Future Energy
Over the next few years DIFFER will develop into a leading institute for fundamental energy research under the motto Science for Future Energy. Besides the existing fusion research, DIFFER will start a new line of research into solar fuels, the storage of sustainable energy in the form of chemical fuels. In 2015 DIFFER will relocate to a new laboratory on the campus of Eindhoven University of Technology to facilitate a closer connection with university research.
During the DIFFER opening symposium prominent international speakers from politics, industry and science will present their vision on the importance of fundamental energy research. Besides State Secretary Halbe Zijlstra, the morning programme includes Steven Koonin (former Under Secretary for Science of the Department of Energy), Gerald Schotman (Chief Technology Officer at Shell), Bert Hesselink (Stanford University) and DIFFER director Richard van de Sanden. The afternoon programme will give an overview of energy research with lectures on subjects such as plastic solar cells, fusion and solar fuels.
DIFFER will work together with both science and industry, for example in the Top sectors Energy, High Tech Systems, and Materials. Over the next few years the institute also wants to grow to become the hub in a national network for fundamental energy research. FOM will facilitate this by setting up satellites of the institute in the form of FOM focus groups for energy research at Dutch research institutions. The strategy of the focus groups will be realised in close consultation with DIFFER. FOM is also providing training for talented young scientists in energy research via the YES! fellowships for Young Energy Scientists. With a YES! fellowship young researchers are given the opportunity to develop further at a foreign top institute in the area of fundamental energy research.
Participation in the symposium
Journalists are most welcome to attend the symposium. For participation in the symposium and requests for interviews please contact the Communication Department (see contact information below). The symposium can also be followed via a live stream: www.differ.nl/DIFFER_opening.
Contact
FOM Institute DIFFER (Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research)
Participation in symposium: www.differ.nl/DIFFER_opening
Address: Edisonbaan 14, 3430 MN Nieuwegein
Website: www.differ.nl
Gieljan de Vries (Communication Department, FOM Institute DIFFER)
Telephone: +31 (0)30 609 69 02 / +31 (0)6 11 04 55 27
DIFFER is one of the three research institutes of the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM).