Leiden University strives to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all its employees. On this page, you'll find information about what to do in case of illness, pregnancy, functional limitations, and mental well-being, as well as the support available to you.

Are you an international researcher working for Leiden University? Please note that you probably are legally obliged to take out health insurance. Here you will find if you need a public or a private health insurance, and how to apply for it.

If you wish, you can take part in the collective health insurance scheme offered by Leiden University and Zorg en Zekerheid. This scheme offers a collective discount, for you and your family.

Knowledge Festival

The most common problem areas PhD students face are listed below, as well as how one can begin to fix these problems.

At many university locations the health, safety and environment tasks are coordinated by the General Services Department (UFB). The Faculty of Sciene has its own HSE-service. You can contact your health and safety coordinator (HSE coordinator) for advice and information on working conditions. In most…

Personal development

Marieke Adriaanse is Professor Behavioural Interventions in Population Health. This is a combined chair of the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences (FSW), which is part of the interdisciplinary Population Health programme. She works at the department…

Merel Sprenger is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), studying femicide in the Netherlands by linking data from the Dutch Femicide Monitor with CBS microdata.

Course

Daycare center de Kattekop offers daycare places for children (up to 4 years old) to staff and employees of Leiden University.

The ‘Engagement with Society’ ambition is closely linked to the ‘Employability Enhancement’ and ‘Skills’ ambitions. Introducing students to social issues often gives them immediate insight into the job market they will enter. And working on social issues gives them the opportunity to develop skills…

A healthy and happy society. This is what researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences are working towards, together with a selection of partners from different disciplines and regions. To further structure research about Health and Well-being, the faculty has identified three focus area’s. Researchers…

Sarah Hinman is a broadly trained human geographer with research and teachings interests meeting at the intersection of geographic information systems, urban sustainability, and public health. Her current research draws on her passion for digital mapping and visualization through the development of…

The University Sports Centre (USC) offers more than 55 sporting activities and classes. Staff members are entitled to a huge discount on membership of the USC.

During an evacuation, all employees and students gather at the greens near the beach volleyball fields, next to the University Sports Centre.

The Service Centre International Staff provides advice and different types of services to all international employees and guest researchers that come to pursue their academic career in Leiden.

Gorlaeus Building, Einsteinweg 55, 2333 CC, Leiden

During an evacuation, all employees and students gather at the courtyard.

, Goliuspad 22, 2333 BH, Leiden

The city of Leiden is enriched by a dense infrastructure of knowledge institutes, with a uniquely strong focus on health and well-being. This gives Leiden "an extremely good starting position to become the healthiest city in the Netherlands," according to Fleur Spijker (Alderman for Economy, Knowledge,…

Willem Einthoven, Kolffpad 1, 2333 BN, Leiden

Can kindness training increase political tolerance? And how can we better support children with selective mutism? During the Health@FSW knowledge market and exchange event on 26 May 2025, researchers from all five institutes showcased how their work aligns with the faculty’s research strategy and contributes…

Kamerlingh Onnes Building, Steenschuur 25, 2311 ES, Leiden

It appears from a study conducted by Independer and Q&A Research that at least one in five Dutch people think you can be refused basic health insurance if you have health problems.

Ludo Waltman is scientific director and professor of Quantitative Science Studies at the Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University. He is co-chair of the Research on Research Institute (RoRI).

Beehive Student Centre, Turfmarkt 104, 2511 DC, The Hague

LUMC Main Building, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden

Wijnhaven, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP, The Hague

In memory of Andrea Evers, Professor of Health Psychology, the Prof. Andrea Evers Fund for Health, Behaviour and Society has been established. With this fund, we aim to honour her deepest wish: to continue research that contributes to health, well-being, and a resilient society.

More information on the Dutch website.

Positive expectations about treatment increase the likelihood of success. The new Center for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies Leiden is therefore promoting research on the placebo effect and offering expertise and training for care providers. At the opening, the founders demonstrated their VR communications…

Better health for all the residents of The Hague region. This is the mission of Health Campus The Hague – formerly LUMC Campus The Hague. Eight partners – the LUMC, Leiden University, the municipality of The Hague and five healthcare institutions (see box) – are collaborating intensively in healthcare…

The Minister has requested urgent advice from Sombroek-van Doorm in relation to the vaccination of children aged between 5 and 12 years against COVID-19.

In his research, Van Gestel focuses on fundamental and applied research on health behaviour and behaviour change in an interdisciplinary context. He focuses on understanding the factors important for health behaviour (behavioural determinants) and on behaviour change techniques as building blocks of…

How can the people of Leiden age as well as possible? And what is needed to reduce health disparities? That is the mission of Leiden Healthy Society Center, a new partnership between the Municipality of Leiden, Leiden University and many other partners in the city.

Mirjam Sombroek, Aart Hendriks and Martine de Vries (LUMC) will work on mapping the ethical and legal aspects of gene therapy. The aim is to establish a best practice of how society can best deal with these therapies. For example with guidelines on how to regulate, reimburse and make these therapies…