The Faculty of Science covers a wide field of research, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth and environmental science, informatics, logic, mathematics and physics.

Its research programme, in which multidisciplinary developments are stimulated alongside excellent monodisciplinary research, has placed the Faculty of Science in a leading international position.

To strengthen this position, the faculty strives to improve its global competitiveness. One of the ways to do so is by clustering research in so called research priorities.

The Faculty of Science uses five criteria to determine its research clusters as a research priority:

• it concerns an academic topic in which the University of Amsterdam plays a leading role;
• the research cluster is actively promoted and pulled forward by at least two leading scientists, who act as ambassadors of the field covered;
• there is enough mass involved (at least 40 full time equivalents of research power);
• the cluster has the potential to grow and flourish without the need for new investments of significant university budgets;
• and the research cluster is directly connected to a successful master track, i.e. a track that enrols at least 20 students per year.

Below is an overview of the selected research priority areas. Click on the links for details about the research.