Research at the institute addresses the history of the sciences as a part of society, especially the relation between science and culture in the 19th and 20th century. Current research projects are:
- History of physics, geophysical sciences and meteorology
- The relation between science and religion in the modern age
- History of mathematics, mathematical education and statistics
- History of genetics
- The emergence of international networks of researchers in the 19th century
- History of astronomy
- History of paleontology and natural history museums
- History of women in science
- Newtonianism in the Netherlands
In the annual reports of the Institute one can find a survey of the research that was done in the last couple of years.