Kavli Foundation (United States) facts for kids

The Kavli Foundation is a group based in Los Angeles, California. It works to help science grow and make sure more people understand how important scientists and their work are.

This foundation was started in December 2000 by Fred Kavli. He was a business leader and a kind person from Norway. Fred Kavli earned his money by creating a company called Kavlico, which made special sensors. He also invested in land and buildings. When Fred Kavli passed away in 2013, he left all his remaining money to the foundation.

The first president of The Kavli Foundation was David Auston. He led the foundation from 2002 to 2009. After him, Robert W. Conn was president from 2009 to 2020. Today, Cynthia M. Friend is the president.

The Kavli Foundation has helped create special science centers called Kavli Institutes. There are 20 of these institutes at major universities around the world. The foundation has also set up ten Kavli professorships. These are special teaching positions at top universities like Harvard University and California Institute of Technology.

The Kavli Prize: Honoring Scientists

The Kavli Prize is a special award that celebrates scientists. It recognizes amazing discoveries in three main areas:

• Astrophysics: The study of stars, planets, and the universe.
• Nanoscience: The study of tiny things, even smaller than a speck of dust.
• Neuroscience: The study of the brain and nervous system.

Winners of the Kavli Prize receive a scroll, a medal, and one million dollars! These prizes are given out every two years since 2008. The Kavli Prize is a team effort. It involves The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, The Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, and The Kavli Foundation.

Scientists from all over the world help choose the winners. These experts are part of special committees. Their choices are then confirmed by The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.

Kavli Institutes: Centers for Discovery

The Kavli Foundation has created 20 Kavli Institutes. These institutes are places where scientists do important research. They focus on four main areas: astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics.

Astrophysics Institutes

These institutes study the universe, from tiny particles to huge galaxies.

• 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
• The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe at the University of Tokyo

Nanoscience Institutes

These institutes explore the world at a very tiny scale, helping us understand and create new materials.

• The Kavli Institute for Nanoscale Science at Cornell University
• 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 Energy NanoSciences Institute at University of California, Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• The Kavli Institute for NanoScience Discovery at the University of Oxford

Neuroscience Institutes

These institutes focus on understanding the brain, how it works, and how it affects our thoughts and actions.

• 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 Neuroscience at Yale University
• The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
• The Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute at Johns Hopkins University
• The Kavli Neural Systems Institute at The Rockefeller University
• The Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco

Theoretical Physics Institutes

These institutes use math and logic to understand the basic rules of the universe.

• Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara
• The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Sciences (KITS) at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences