Programs
WITH A DIFFERENCE.
Programs with a Difference
Supporting innovative, forward-thinking ideas in science, technology, the humanities and philosophy, the Philomathia Foundation offers undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral research fellowships and scholarships.
Supporting Education and Research
Scholarships and Fellowships
The Philomathia Foundation offers several fellowships and scholarships to support education, research, and forward-thinking ideas in science, technology, the humanities, and philosophy through all levels of higher education.
Pioneering Science and the Humanities
Research Projects
Philomathia Social Sciences Research Programme
Humanities and Social Sciences
Support from the Philomathia Foundation has helped the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Cambridge to pioneer new research focused on Human Values and Distributive Justice. This ambition programme developed its research agenda to sharpen quantitative research methods and increase engagement with public policy makers. Using large datasets, the group will assess the implications of choices made on the basis of different prescriptive assumptions about human values.
Philomathia Seed Fund Award
Energy and Climate
The Philomathia Seed Fund Award gives UC Berkeley researchers the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge exploratory work in energy research. These multidisciplinary projects aim to further define the frontiers of energy science and policy with the potential for scalability and implementation.
Recognizing Excellence in Transformative Research
The Philomathia Prize
The Foundation recognises the importance of original inquiries made by many outstanding young scientists and scholars during their early research career. During this time, many would encounter a lack of support, financial and otherwise, in pursuing these insightful studies.
The Philomathia Prize seeks to recognise and encourage early career scientists and scholars to undertake original, basic and transformative research. The recipient should have demonstrated exceptional intellect, and has made significant contributions to their field of studies. The award provides an unrestricted grant. Any study to enhance human knowledge is eligible.
The Foundation does not seek nomination to the Philomathia Prize. The Prize is awarded from time to time, at the discretion of the Foundation. Upon acceptance of the Prize, the awardee agrees to support and assist the Foundation in promoting its Values, Vision and Mission.
The inaugural Philomathia Prize was awarded in 2019 to Professor Dustin Garrick at Oxford University.
The Philomathia Prize, UC Berkeley
The motive behind creating the Philomathia Prize in 2021 was to inspire faculty in the early stages of their careers and give them an opportunity to pursue the exploration of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and non-STEM disciplines. This $200,000 prize recognizes the winners’ potential for transformative research, and liberates them to use innovative methods that improve the likelihood of extraordinary advances.
FEATURED FACULTY
Dr. Dustin Garrick
Inaugural Philomathia Prize Recipient
Smith School of Enterprise and Environment, University of Oxford
The inaugural Philomathia Prize was awarded to professor Dustin Garrick at Oxford University in 2019. Dr Garrick’s research examines the politics and governance of environmental challenges, and explores the shifting roles of governments, society and free markets as the scale and pace of conflict over natural resources intensifies.
FEATURED FACULTY
Dr. Markita del Carpio Landry
Inaugural Philomathia Prize, UC Berkeley Recipient
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Berkeley
Assistant Professor Markita del Carpio Landry of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has been named the inaugural recipient of the Philomathia Prize. The prize recognizes demonstrated excellence and future potential of a UC Berkeley faculty member’s research.
FEATURED FACULTY
Jennifer Redfearn
2023 Philomathia Prize Recipient
Berkeley Journalism
We are thrilled to announce that Jennifer Redfearn, an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and associate professor at Berkeley Journalism, has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Philomathia Prize for 2023. This annual award recognizes early-career Berkeley faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional promise and distinction in their field.
Photo by Elena Zhukova
FEATURED FACULTY
Kwabena Bediako
2024 Philomathia Prize Recipient
Chemical Sciences Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Philomathia Foundation is delighted to announce that Kwabena Bediako, assistant professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley, has been awarded the 2024 Philomathia Prize. His innovative research is pushing the boundaries of materials science and could lead to groundbreaking advancements in electronics and renewable energy.
Opportunities for a Global Exchange of Ideas
Philomathia Forum
The Philomathia Forum on Energy and Environment
Since 2009, this series of forums at UC Berkeley has been dedicated to understanding energy and the environment, the management of complex systems, and the application of data-driven research to solve critical environmental sustainability problems. The Philomathia Forum on Energy and Environment supports global discourse concerning advanced grid integration of renewable energy with storage, improved efficiency through smart buildings and electric transportation, and mitigated climate change through improved air quality.
Philomathia Symposium at Cambridge
The Philomathia Forum
An important part of the Philomathia Social Sciences Research Programme, the Philomathia Forum is a series of individual workshops created to broaden the debate surrounding the development of research relevant to public policy.
The Philomathia Symposium
A year of interdisciplinary Philomathia Forum conversations culminate at the annual Philomathia Symposium, which directly guides the Philomathia Social Sciences Research Programme’s primary research concerning the conflicting ethical values underpinning public policy.
The History Of Wealth Project
Co-funded by the Philomathia Foundation and the Isaac Newton Trust, the History of Wealth Project investigates the significance of wealth and inheritance in nineteenth and early-twentieth century Britain. The project studies the important social, economic, cultural and political role of inheritance, and demonstrates its importance for understanding intergenerational well-being, social inequality, and justice.