Advancing science for the benefit of humanity.
The Kavli Foundation was established by Fred Kavli in 2000 with a vision to advance science for the benefit of humanity. We aspire to this vision through our mission to stimulate basic research in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics; strengthen the relationship between science and society; and honor scientific discoveries with The Kavli Prize.
Our Physical and Life Sciences Programs fund basic research in these four fields, through partnerships, initiatives and portfolios designed to push the boundaries of science. The programs also provide unconstrained funding to scientists at 20 Kavli Institutes globally whose research in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics transform our understanding of the big, the small and the complex.
Through our Science and Society Program, we go beyond scientific research and focus on ways to strengthen the relationship between science and society. Through the Kavli Centers for Ethics, Science, and the Public, collaborations with academies and societies, philanthropies and more, we are working to ensure the people, processes and products of science contribute meaningfully to society.
In partnership with The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, we honor scientists with The Kavli Prize in celebration of breakthroughs in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience. This signature international award is given every two years by the Norwegian Academy.
All of these efforts are united through our guiding
principles, and a drive to identify promising ideas and catalyze opportunities that
unlock the benefits of science and create lasting impact for science and
society.
“The Kavli Foundation supports basic science because we believe
in its long-range benefit to humanity. We are looking for benefits that may lie
far into the future, benefits that may be hard to predict, but as we look at
the past, the benefits of science have been proven over time. The fruits of
research are not always immediate and are often not predictable. Often the
benefits are the result of unpredictable outcomes of an exploration that was
initially motivated purely by intellectual curiosity.” – Fred Kavli
