Radboud University, in collaboration with other Dutch universities, embraced this challenge and developed an ambitious proposal. After a competitive selection process that included an exciting presentation to an international assessment committee, Radboud’s plan was chosen over a competing proposal from the University of Amsterdam.
In the 1990s, the world saw a rapid global rise of research centres focused on cognitive neuroscience, a field dedicated to understanding how the brain enables complex mental processes. However, the Netherlands lagged behind in establishing a dedicated research centre in this area. Recognizing the need to catch up, the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) recommended in 1997 the creation of a national neuroimaging centre to put the Netherlands on the map.
Harold Bekkering: ‘How human behaviour and brain activity coincide is a great mystery. What is different in brain activity in a patient with Parkinson's? How does the brain store knowledge and what type of education supports this in an optimal way? Getting to the bottom of this is the interdisciplinary challenge is what the Donders Institute was facing and still faces.’
In 1999, Peter Hagoort was appointed founding director of the new F.C. Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging in Nijmegen. The centre was named after Franciscus Cornelis Donders, a pioneer in studying brain processes and perception. In 2002, the centre was officially operational and was opened by Queen Beatrix.
Stan Gielen: ‘Stan Gielen: The ambition at the start of the Donders Institute was to build an institute of world renown. Looking back, we can say that we have succeeded excellently: the Donders Institute is at the world's top both in terms of the quality of its scientific output, the number of disciplines working together as well as its experimental facilities and the entire spectrum of fundamental to applied research.’
The centre quickly grew into an internationally recognised institute, partly due to the arrival of talented researchers from home and abroad. With increasing collaborations, such as those with the Max Planck Institute, the research field expanded. In 2008, this led to the establishment of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, which expanded the focus beyond neuroimaging to a broader range of interdisciplinary research. Today, the Donders Institute is a leading institute, home to more than 1,000 researchers. The institute continues to innovate and focus on fundamental and socially relevant research.
Peter Hagoort: ‘One of the great scientific challenges is to connect our knowledge about brain, cognition and behaviour. That is the ambition of the Donders Institute. I could not have imagined that so many talented young researchers from all over the world wanted to come to Nijmegen to contribute to this ambition and give the Donders Institute the world fame it has now acquired thanks to their cross-border contributions.’
People of Donders
Behind every scientific discovery lies a story. A story of scientists and staff driven by curiosity and perseverance. What motivates them to delve into the complex world of the brain day in and day out? What continues to fascinate them? What challenges do they face? And what does their work mean to them personally? In the People of Donders series you will meet the people behind the science, discover their passions, and learn what they think is most fascinating about our brains.