New Frontiers
As a scientist my goal has always been to explore new frontiers of science. In 2021, my explorations took me in a different and unexpected direction. After more than 40 years as a researcher, I joined The Kavli Foundation as its third president.
My first full year was all about new frontiers – discovering more about philanthropy, guiding an organization remotely as we navigated the second year of a global pandemic, and shaping future directions for our science funding. It has been a remarkable and memorable year.
I am pleased to share the foundation’s 2021 annual report, along with our audited financials and highlights from our giving. This is our first public annual report, marking an important step towards providing greater transparency in what we do.
As I reflect on the year, I am proud that we were a steady hand in supporting basic science while also making room to explore new frontiers in our Science and Science and Society programs, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of an organization that is so passionately committed to advancing science for the benefit of humanity.
Cynthia Friend
Introducing the Kavli Centers for Ethics, Science, and the Public
Cutting-edge neuroscience, genetics, and artificial intelligence are a few examples driving the need to discuss impacts born from scientific discovery. Two Kavli Centers for Ethics, Science, and the Public – at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Cambridge – launched to engage the public in identifying and exploring these issues.
Meet the New Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery at University of Oxford
The multidisciplinary nature of nanoscience broadens the possibilities for discoveries, some of which translate more quickly into innovations that can benefit economies and humanity worldwide. The NanoScience Discovery at Oxford is the fifth Kavli Institute in nanoscience, combining a unique combination of structural biology with world-leading biochemistry, pathology, chemistry, physics, physiology and engineering.
A Year in Science
At the 20 Kavli Institutes, scientists explore the boundaries of our knowledge in astrophysics, theoretical physics, nanoscience, and neuroscience. As 2021 draws to a close, we share one highlight from each institute to illustrate the remarkable basic research happening within each of these fields.
Celebrating Science Journalists Around the World
Thirty-five journalists from around the world were awarded with the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award in 2021. Entries came from 47 countries with first-time winners from India and Spain. Science news topics ranged with stories and films on the environment, ethics, diversity, and the global pandemic.
Grantmaking and Financials
Our philanthropy is conducted through a strategic mix of grantmaking and endowment to accelerate discoveries in basic science and strengthen the relationship between science and society. The Kavli Foundation endowment, when combined with our external partners, is defined as the Kavli Philanthropic Enterprise and is valued at $1.1 billion.