Mission, vision and values
The ILL mission
The ILL is a service facility. Its purpose is to provide the international scientific community with
- the brightest possible beams of neutrons
- state-of-the-art scientific instruments
- the expertise of its scientists, engineers and technicians.
Most of its neutron beams are used to probe materials. The fields of investigation range from technology applications to biology and health.
Neutrons hold the key to many important questions related to the fundamental laws governing our universe.
Research with neutrons: a collective effort!
Excellence
The ILL is the most intense source of neutrons in the world. This enables us to publish over 140 scientific papers a year in the world's most prestigious journals.
Collective creativity
We draw on our individual skills, diversity of opinion and capacity for dialogue at all stages in the production process. We work together to innovate, tackling new challenges, human, scientific and technical.
Service
We provide highly specialised expertise and technology to scientists from all over the world. Nearly 2000 scientific visitors use our facilities every year; their research generates over 600 publications a year.
Health and safety
ILL is fully aware of its responsibility when it comes to protecting health and environment. We therefore make every effort to comply with the highest standards of health and safety and radiation protection.
Creating knowledge
Science strives to augment human knowledge, which, as we understand it, is a universal gift to be used to make this world a better place for all of us. ILL is fully engaged in this philosophy by pursuing research on the most pressing topics of our times.
Diversity and mutual respect
We thrive on diversity and encourage collaboration. We work in international teams - our success depends on our values: respect, acceptance and communication.
The results we have achieved, and the strength of our partnerships, are the fruit of trust and team spirit, mutual esteem, and very high standards.
International collaboration
A fundamental principle, at the very origins of the ILL. The Institute was founded as a partnership between France and Germany on the initiative of professors Louis Néel and Heinz Maier-Leibnitz. It was soon to be joined by the United Kingdom. Ten other partner countries also contribute to the Institute today - Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Poland, the Slovak Rep. Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Gender equality
The ILL is fully engaged in providing equal gender opportunities. It actively strives to increase the number of women within all parts of its staff and organizational bodies.
In 2019, the fight against gender inequality in the workplace was given a new tool: the gender equality index. This index takes the form of a score out of 100 and makes it possible to assess the gender pay gap in a particular company. It is based on five broad criteria for assessing inequalities between women and men in the workplace. (click here for more information, in French)
The ILL's gender equality index score for 2023 is 94/100.
| Results of 2023 gender equality index for each criterion | Score |
| Gender pay gap | 39/40 |
| Gender gap in the distribution of individual pay rises | 20/20 |
| Gender gap in the distribution of promotions | 15/15 |
| % of employees given a pay rise on returning from maternity leave | 15/15 |
| Number of employees of the under-represented gender among the top 10 highest paid employees | 5/10 |
| TOTAL | 94/100 |