KAVLI PRIZE

NORWAY

WHO: Fred Kavli, physicist, entrepreneur and founder of the Kavlico Corporation

WHAT: The late Norwegian-born US philanthropist Fred Kavli set up the Kavli Foundation in 2000, giving more than US$200 million to establish 17 research institutes at universities around the world in astrophysics, neuroscience, nanoscience and theoretical physics. He launched the award that bears his name in 2008, with recipients in three categories, astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience, sharing a US$1 million prize.

Aiming to distinguish the Kavli Prize from the Nobels, the entrepreneur decreed that laureates be selected by committees of distinguished international scientists from different institutes, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences to the UK’S Royal Society to Germany’s Max Planck Society, with committee chairs chosen by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. The prize aims to recognise scientists who have made seminal advances in their respective research areas. The ceremony takes place in Oslo in September every other year.

LEADING LIGHTS From left: The International president of the Israel Museum, James Synder, Nobelwinner Roger Kornberg and Len Blavatnik; the late Fred Kavli