The Kavli Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Kavli Foundation, based in Oxnard, California
, is a foundation that supports the advancement of science and the increase of public understanding and support for scientists and their work.
The Kavli Foundation was established in December 2000 by its founder and benefactor, Fred Kavli
, a Norwegian business leader and philanthropist
whose foundation is currently actively involved in establishing research institutes at universities throughout the United States
, in Europe
, and in Asia
.
To date, The Kavli Foundation has made grants to establish Kavli Institutes on the campuses of 15 major universities.
In addition to the Kavli Institutes, six Kavli professor
ships have been established: two at University of California, Santa Barbara
, one each at University of California, Los Angeles
, University of California, Irvine
, Columbia University
, and California Institute of Technology
.
recognize scientists for seminal advances in three research areas: astrophysics
, nanoscience and neuroscience
. Consisting of a scroll, medal and cash award of one million dollars, a prize in each of these areas is to be awarded every two years beginning in 2008. The Kavli Prizes are presented in cooperation with the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(Norway
is Kavli's native country).
The recipients are to be chosen by three prize committees of distinguished scientists recommended by the Chinese Academy of Sciences
, the French Academy of Sciences
, the Max Planck Society
, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society. After making their selection for award recipients, the recommendations of these prize committees are to be confirmed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, is a foundation that supports the advancement of science and the increase of public understanding and support for scientists and their work.
The Kavli Foundation was established in December 2000 by its founder and benefactor, Fred Kavli
Fred Kavli
Fred Kavli is a Norwegian and naturalized American physicist, business leader, inventor, and philanthropist. He was born in the village of Eresfjord, Nesset municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Today Kavli lives in the city of Santa Barbara, California. He established The Kavli...
, a Norwegian business leader and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
whose foundation is currently actively involved in establishing research institutes at universities throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
To date, The Kavli Foundation has made grants to establish Kavli Institutes on the campuses of 15 major universities.
In addition to the Kavli Institutes, six Kavli professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
ships have been established: two at University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, one each at University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
, Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
.
The Kavli Prize
The Kavli PrizesKavli Prize
The Kavli Prize was established in 2005 through a joint venture between the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and The Kavli Foundation...
recognize scientists for seminal advances in three research areas: astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, nanoscience and neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
. Consisting of a scroll, medal and cash award of one million dollars, a prize in each of these areas is to be awarded every two years beginning in 2008. The Kavli Prizes are presented in cooperation with the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway.-History:The University of Oslo was established in 1811. The idea of a learned society in Christiania surfaced for the first time in 1841. The city of Throndhjem had no university, but had a learned...
, the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research
Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research is a Norwegian responsible for education, research and kindergartens. The ministry was established in 1814, and since October 18, 2007 led by Tora Aasland and Kristin Halvorsen in 2009. The department reports to the legislature...
, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the foreign ministry of the Kingdom of Norway...
(Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
is Kavli's native country).
The recipients are to be chosen by three prize committees of distinguished scientists recommended by the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences , formerly known as Academia Sinica, is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution of the State Council of China. It is headquartered in Beijing, with institutes all over the People's Republic of China...
, the French Academy of Sciences
French Academy of Sciences
The French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
, the Max Planck Society
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and The Royal Society. After making their selection for award recipients, the recommendations of these prize committees are to be confirmed by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
Astrophysics
- The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University
- The Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago
- The Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- The Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Peking University
- The Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge
Nanoscience
- The Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science
- The Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands
- The Kavli Nanoscience Institute at the California Institute of Technology
- The Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology at Harvard University
Neuroscience
- The Kavli Institute for Neuroscience at Yale University
- The Kavli Institute for Brain Science at Columbia University
- The Kavli Institute for Brain & Mind at the University of California, San Diego
- The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology