The Philomathia Foundation has joined in the study of nanomaterials, linking up with the Heising-Simons Foundation to match a $10 million donation with the Kavli Foundation in establishing the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

“The field of nanoscience is poised to change the very foundations of how we should think about future energy conversion systems,” said Kavli ENSI Director Paul Alivisatos. “UC Berkeley and Berkeley Lab stand out worldwide for their strong efforts in nanoscience and their research activities related to energy, so energy nanoscience is a particular strength for us.”

“I’d like as well to thank both the Heising-Simons Foundation and the Philomathia Foundation for their confidence in Berkeley and in this new Kavli Institute,” said Robert W. Conn, president of the Kavli Foundation. “Their matching gifts will help the Kavli ENSI at Berkeley get off to a very strong start. There is also no more important time than now to invest in basic scientific research. History has shown that discoveries in basic science have a profound impact on the economy of nations, on the health of people, and on the well-being of societies.”

The Philomathia Foundation donation establishes the Philomathia Discovery Fund, which supports research projects that have exceptional promise to deliver fundamental conceptual and technical breakthroughs. It was founded to promote human values and science through education and research.

(photo: Paul Alivisatos)

You can read more about the establishment of the Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute here.