The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) is an independent governmental research and knowledge institute providing policy support to the Dutch government. RIVM performs tasks to safeguard and promote public health and environmental quality in the Netherlands, by (1) conducting research, (2) providing policy advice and recommendations, (3) directing and implementing prevention and control response (e.g. national coordination of health and environmental monitoring programmes), (4) coordinating intervention programs, and (5) providing information to professionals and the general public. Our experts participate in various international networks and are members of many international scientific committees and experts panels of the EU, the World Health Organization (WHO) and OECD.
RIVM contributes in multiple ways to the research into potential risks of nanoparticles to human health and the environment (http://www.rivm.nl/en/Topics/N/Nanotechnology) in support of Dutch policy-making on nanotechnology. The Dutch Knowledge and Information Centre on Risks of Nanotechnology (KIR-nano) is based at RIVM.