The Executive Board has decided to award each of the University's eleven research profile areas a subsidy of € 1 million over the period from 2010 to 2014. The LUMC is also contributing to the subsidies in the research areas in which the LUMC participates.

The subsidies will be expended on creating PhD positions, acquiring costly infrastructure and organising conferences and seminars that will bring researchers together. As a result of this investment,  some 35 PhD positions will be created. 

In 2009 the Executive Board designated 11 research profile areas across the whole University, varying from fundamental physics to research into language diversity. The profile areas were chosen on the basis of visibility of excellent research, collaboration across the borders of disciplines, societal relevance and strengthening the acquisition of external funding.

The choice of research profile areas is the result of meticulous consideration; those responsible for directing the research areas are Leiden University's leading scholars. The Board wishes to express its confidence in the further development of these areas, and the aim of the subsidies is to afford each area a good start. The subsidies have been awarded on the basis of action plans submitted by the co-ordinators of the research areas. 

The research profile areas are:

1. Asian modernities and traditions
2. Bioscience: the science base of health
3. Brain function and dysfunction over the lifespan
4. Fundamentals of science
5. Global interaction of people, culture and power through the ages
6. Health, prevention and the human life cycle
7. Interaction between legal systems
8. Language diversity in the world
9. Political legitimacy: institutions and identities
10. Translational drug discovery and development
11. Vascular and regenerative medicine