What is "nikhef"

Nikhef is the Dutch National Institute for Subatomic Physics that performs research in particle physics and astroparticle physics. Amongst others, it is a research partner of the CERN institute in Switzerland, and is a collaboration between Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM), University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Radboud University, University of Groningen, and Utrecht University. The current director is Stan Bentvelsen. Nikhef is located at the Amsterdam Science Park in Watergraafsmeer in the Netherlands.

NIKHEF is an acronym for Nationaal Instituut voor Kernfysica en Hoge-Energiefysica (National Institute for Nuclear and High energy physics). This acronym is no longer used and the name was changed to Nationaal instituut voor subatomaire fysica (National Institute for Subatomic Physics). The name Nikhef is preserved to maintain name recognition (now only with a capital N).

It also was the host of the third website in the world, starting in February 1992. Nikhef is also one of the eight colocations of the Amsterdam Internet Exchange.