Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Alfred P. Sloan and Simons Tapped to Offset Federal Budget Cuts in Science Funding
An ambitious funding drive aims to funnel a billion dollars of private donor money into basic scientific pursuits over the next five years, and has just hired its first president. The effort is getting its start at a time when the basic research that serves as the foundation of scientific progress is largely ignored by wealthy donors as it suffers from federal budget cutbacks. A coalition of science-minded foundations called the Science Philanthropy Alliance has picked Marc Kastner, one of the nation’s leading physicists, as its first president.
The organizations behind Kastner and the initiative, which launched in 2013, boast a history of commitment to basic research as well as applied pursuits. They include the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Kavli Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Simons Foundation and the Research Corporation for Science Advancement....