Funding - Kavli Foundation

Enriched Nordic · Found: 2026-03-11 08:10

See the foundation's current funding opportunities. Our funding is organized around four fields—astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and science and society ...

Source: https://kavlifoundation.org/funding

Funding Details

Funder

The Kavli Foundation

Funding Goal

Support transformative basic science research in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and science-society initiatives through targeted grants to Kavli-affiliated researchers and institutes.

Funding Amount

Varies by program: Kavli Scholars $100,000/year (up to 2 years); Science and Society up to $15,000; past programs ranged from $5,000 to $1.6M annually (15.000 € – 1.600.000 €)

Deadline

2026-06-15 (Fixed)

How to Apply

The Kavli Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. Funding opportunities are announced periodically on their website. Eligible applicants (Kavli Institute affiliates, Kavli Prize Laureates, other Kavli affiliates) can apply to specific announced calls. The current Kavli Scholars program has a deadline of June 15, 2026.

Target Region

Global (Kavli Institutes are at international universities)

Last Checked

2026-03-12 00:00

Application Checklist

Eligibility

• Applicant must be affiliated with a Kavli Institute, be a Kavli Prize Laureate, or other Kavli affiliate
• Kavli Scholars: applicants must demonstrate disruption in work or interruption of previously committed funding

Project Scope

• Research must fall within astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, or science and society

Constraints

• Unsolicited proposals are not accepted — must respond to specific announced funding calls
• Science and Society Program: limited to Kavli Institutes, foundation covers up to 50% of cost

Summary

The Kavli Foundation is a US-based philanthropic organization that funds basic science research across four domains: astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and science and society. The foundation identifies potentially transformative research ideas and catalyzes opportunities to unlock the benefits of science for lasting societal impact. It operates through a network of 20 endowed Kavli Institutes at international universities and research centers. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. Instead, it announces specific funding calls periodically, primarily targeting Kavli Institute affiliates, Kavli Prize Laureates, and other Kavli-connected researchers. Current active opportunities include the Kavli Scholars program (up to $100,000/year for 2 years) for researchers experiencing disruption in their work, and a Science and Society Program offering up to $15,000 for Kavli Institutes. Past funding opportunities have included AI-for-Science postdoctoral fellowships, cross-institute collaboration grants (up to $120,000), instrumentation grants for astrophysics ($1M annually), and quantum geometry research grants ($400K-$1.6M annually). The foundation also administers the biennial Kavli Prize, an international award honoring breakthrough discoveries in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience, in partnership with Norwegian institutions.

Historical Context

The Kavli Foundation operates 20 endowed research institutes at international universities. The Kavli Prize has been awarded biennially since 2008 in partnership with Norwegian institutions. Multiple funding rounds have been conducted across various programs, with recent closed calls including AI-for-Science fellowships (2026), Collaboration Kickstarter Grants (2025), and Instrumentation for Astrophysics (2025).

Sources

• https://kavlifoundation.org/funding
• https://kavlifoundation.org/funding-opportunities
• https://kavlifoundation.org/funding-approach

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