THE KAVLI FOUNDATION
Annual Giving
$17.4M-6% YoY
Grants
107
Median Grant
$66K
Organizations Funded
71
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Foundation Overview
Mission
The Kavli Foundation's vision is to advance science for the benefit of humanity, with a mission to stimulate basic research in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience; strengthen the relationship between science and society; and honor scientific discoveries with The Kavli Prize.
Focus Areas
Grant Types
Funded Initiatives
The foundation and university partners committed more than $100 million in new funds for brain research, establishing new neuroscience institutes at Johns Hopkins University, The Rockefeller University and the University of California, San Francisco. Current initiatives include Search for Life in the Universe in astrophysics, Frontiers of Quantum Materials and Nanoscience for Sustainability in nanoscience, and Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems in neuroscience.
How to Apply
Different opportunities have different application requirements, including Letters of Interest (LOI) for certain collaborative projects, Project Applications for specific grant programs, and Applications for workshop and institute funding. Foundation uses invitation-only approach for most funding opportunities.
Does Not Fund
Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, though they may occasionally issue an open call. Foundation is not currently deploying endowment funding for new research institutes. Funding is focused on four areas only: astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and science and society.
Based on publicly available information from the foundation's 990 filings and website.
Giving History
$17.4M
Grants
107
Median
$66K
States
14
$18.5M
Grants
120
Median
$94K
States
16
$49.0M
Grants
123
Median
$80K
States
17
Grant Size Distribution
$66K
Typical Grant (Median)
$1K
Smallest
$38K
25th Pctile
$183K
75th Pctile
$2.0M
Largest
Excludes grants ≤ $5K. Half fall between $38K and $183K.
Largest Recent Grants
$2.0M
2024
KAVLI INSTITUTE FOR PARTICLE ASTROPHYSICS AND COSMOLOGY AT STANFORD UNIVERS
CA · THE VIA PROJECT: THE MILKY WAY AS A DARK MATTER LABORATORY
$1.0M
2024
KAVLI INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN AND MIND AT UCSD
CA · KAVLI INSTITUTE FOR BRAIN AND MIND - PHASE III
$854K
2024
KAVLI INSTITUTE FOR NANOSCIENCE AT DELFT UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
KAVLI INSTITUTE INNOVATION AWARD KIND
$833K
2024
KAVLI NEURAL SYSTEMS INSTITUTE (ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY)
NY · KAVLI NSI PHASE III
$633K
2024
WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
TX · KAVLI EXPLORATION AWARD - CARBON NANOTUBES 2023
Geographic Focus
Top states by total grant dollars. Based on IRS filing data.
Financial Overview
Grants paid shown as percentage of total assets
Data sourced from IRS 990 and 990-PF filings and publicly available foundation websites. Grant data, financial figures, and organizational details reflect historical filings and may not represent current operations or funding priorities. Verify directly with the foundation before applying. See an issue? Let us know.