In 2017
AMOLF’s mission is to initiate and perform leading fundamental research on the physics of complex forms of matter, and to create new functional materials, in partnership with academia and industry.
In 1946 the Dutch government established the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) ‘to initiate fundamental scientific research in the Netherlands on matter in the general sense, and to support higher education’. In order to achieve this goal, the FOM Laboratory for Mass Spectrography was founded. The institute’s name was changed to Laboratory for Mass Separation in 1960, and then to FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF) in 1966. The name changes reflect the significant changes in the institute’s research program over the years.
As of January 1, 2017, FOM forms a new organization together with other parts of NWO. The name ‘FOM’, therefore, disappears after more than 70 years. As a result of this, the FOM Institute AMOLF changes its name to AMOLF.