Prof. Van Merriënboer has been with the Open Universiteit for many years. Since 2005, he has been a member of the management team of the ICO - Inter-University Centre for Educational Research. He is the developer of the renowned 4C/ID model for educational design.

NELLL is the research institute of the Open University of the Netherlands, which aims at the study of lifelong learning. Within NELL, the Open University's institution-wide research programme is carried out. NELL's major areas of research include innovative educational methods, lifelong learning technologies in professional surroundings, and the socio-economic aspects of lifelong learning. The institute has a strongly interdisciplinary character.