The Kavli Foundation

08/25/2026

Two new superconductors offer an early proof of concept for an AI-guided approach to materials discovery.

Researchers with the SuperC consortium have experimentally confirmed two superconducting materials first identified using machine learning, an important milestone for the Quantum Geometry in 3D Materials (QG3D) project.

Led by Päivi Törmä at Aalto University, with collaborators including Emilia Morosan at Rice University, the team combined computational predictions with materials synthesis and experimental testing to find and confirm the new materials.

Next comes QG3D’s more distinctive challenge: bringing quantum geometry into this predictive framework to uncover superconductors with new and potentially useful properties.

The Kavli Foundation supports QG3D in partnership with the Klaus Tschira Foundation and independent philanthropist Kevin Wells.

Read more from Aalto University: https://www.aalto.fi/en/news/researchers-identify-new-superconductors-unlocking-process-that-could-yield-thousands-more

Physicists have used machine-learning to discover two new superconductors––it represents a substantial step towards realising massive energy efficiency gains from superconductivity.

08/21/2026

We're excited for the American Chemical Society's 2026 Fall Meeting in Chicago, with the Kavli Foundation Lecture Series on August 24 & 25th. Attendees will hear from Prof. Connor W. Coley AI and the Expanding Computational Toolbox for Chemistry and John C. Warner on Green Chemistry: The Missing Elements.

Through this lecture series, The Kavli Foundation partners with ACS to spotlight scientists and ideas shaping emerging directions in chemistry. So join us either in-person or digitally for a week of fascinating discoveries in the field of chemistry, from integration of chemistry and computation to industrial examples for safer chemistries.

Learn more here: https://www.acs.org/events/fall/program/keynote-events.html

Kick off your ACS Fall 2026 in-person or digital meeting experience with the ACS Board of Directors Open Meeting and ChemLuminary Awards on Sunday, then join us for the Kavli Foundation Lecture Series.

08/20/2026

A century ago, quantum mechanics transformed our understanding of nature at its smallest scale. Today, quantum science is entering a new era: one filled with possibilities ranging from next-generation computing to new approaches for superconductivity.

Advancing this frontier requires more than just new breakthroughs. It requires sustained support, collaboration, and the willingness to take risks.

Read more about the quantum frontiers we’re supporting, and how collaboration among scientists and philanthropic partners can help open new directions for discovery: https://www.kavlifoundation.org/news/building-quantums-next-century

08/13/2026

For centuries, advances in instrumentation have expanded humanity's view of the universe.

Many of the universe's deepest mysteries still remain unseen and unsolved. Researchers increasingly need capabilities that don't yet exist and are calling for a new generation of instruments that will allow us to answer old questions and pose new ones.

Through several avenues, The Kavli Foundation has identified opportunities where investment in instrumentation can generate great scientific impact for astrophysics and our study of the universe. These efforts include the development of skipper-CCDs, innovative techniques using astrophotonics, improved observation precision, and a spectrometer built for the next generation of telescopes.

Investment in transformative science doesn't just start at discovery, it starts at supporting the capacity to discover in the first place.

Read more about the work being done to support astrophysics discoveries here:

Some of astrophysics’ biggest questions are driving the development of a new generation of instruments.

08/12/2026

08/12/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Maribel Patiño for receiving a 2026 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Award!

Dr. Patiño is a member of the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind at UC San Diego and trainee in Nicola Allen's lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies.

Patiño co-founded and serves on the Board of Colors of the Brain (CoB), a nonprofit helping marginalized students in neuroscience and medicine. Through The Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, she co-launched the CoB-KIBM Scholars Program, offering a fully funded summer research experience with tailored lab placements and a curriculum she designed, which continues today.

Learn more about Dr. Patiño: https://grassfoundation.org/2026-henry-grass-rising-stars-in-neuroscience-awardees-announced/

2026 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Awardees Announced By Katie McKissick June 22, 2026 The Grass Foundation Trustees have selected three recipients for the 2026 Henry Grass Rising Stars in Neuroscience Award: Daniel Cardozo Pinto, Maribel Patiño, and Whitney Stevens-Sostre. Dr. Daniel Ca...

08/03/2026

What will the next 250 years of science look like? The National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian recently celebrated the role of science in the past, present, and future of the United States' story at Revolutions in Science, a conference that The Kavli Foundation was proud to sponsor.

The Kavli Prize Laureate Robert Langer and Nobel Laureate Frances Arnold discussed the critical pathway from foundational research to transformative impact, and the scientific frontiers that may generate the next generation of breakthroughs.

Watch the discussion here:

Revolutions in Science: Discovery, Imagination, and the Future As the United States marked its 250th anniversary, the National Academy of Sciences convened scientific leaders, innovators, and emerging researchers to explore a central question: What discoveries will define the next 250 years? Revolut...

07/30/2026

New technologies can unlock new discoveries.

The Kavli Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and a philanthropic partner are supporting two innovative instrumentation projects that will expand the capabilities of existing mid-sized, ground-based optical and near-infrared telescopes, helping astronomers observe the universe in new ways.

Selected through Kavli’s Instrumentation for Astrophysics 2025 call for proposals, the projects will develop new technologies that dramatically improve the sensitivity of astronomical detectors and ground-based near-infrared spectroscopy, opening new opportunities for discovery across astrophysics.

The awards support teams led by Dr. Juan Estrada (The University of Chicago) and Dr. Sylvain Veilleux (University of Maryland, College Park).

Read more about the awards and the science they will enable: https://www.kavlifoundation.org/news/bringing-new-eyes-to-existing-telescopes

07/23/2026

The countdown is on as kicks off this weekend.

If you're joining us at the International Congress for Neuroethology, don't miss these two special sessions exploring how neuroscience can help us better understand and respond to a changing world:

🧠 Neuroethology in a Changing World
Discover how environmental change is reshaping animal brains, behavior, and the future of neuroethological research. Register here: https://icn2026vancouver.com/satellite-symposia/ #:~:text=link%3A%20Click%20here!-,Neuroethology,-in%20a%20Changing

🌎 Beyond the Bench: Connecting Neuroscience, Ecosystems, and Society
Join a conversation on the connections between neuroscience, ecosystems, and the societal challenges shaping our future. Register here: https://bit.ly/4vlwMxy

There's still time to register for one or both sessions using the links above or QR codes in the image below. We look forward to seeing you at ICN2026!

07/22/2026

Steel production accounts for ~7% of global greenhouse gas emissions. What if a new class of materials could one day help change that?

A Kavli-supported collaboration including Adam Boies of Stanford University and Matteo Pasquali of Carbon Hub at Rice University is uncovering the fundamental science of carbon nanotube synthesis, opening a path toward lower-emission alternatives to steel and other carbon-intensive materials.

The latest findings by a team led by Boies achieved a 446-fold improvement in the efficiency of carbon nanotube synthesis, bringing that long-term vision one step closer.

Read how curiosity-driven research is laying the scientific foundation for a new generation of sustainable materials:
https://www.kavlifoundation.org/news/a-new-path-to-sustainable-nanotube-materials