Founding Benefactors

The Simons Foundation supports the work of institutions and organizations that give many of the world's best mathematicians and physicists the opportunity to work and interact in environments designed to enhance progress. Through symposia, visiting lectureships and the support of under-served communities of scientists, these institutions are broadening the reach of these important disciplines.

Founded in 1934, the New York based Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic, non-profit institution that makes grants in science, technology, economic performance and the quality of American life. The Foundation believes that carefully reasoned systematic understanding of the forces of nature and society, when applied inventively and wisely, can lead to a better world for all. Sloan’s program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology aims to enhance people’s lives through a keener understanding of our increasingly scientific and technological world. The program supports books, radio, television, theater, film, and other efforts that reach a wide, public audience.

The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for research relating to what scientists and philosophers call the Big Questions. We support work at the world's top universities in such fields as theoretical physics, cosmology, evolutionary biology, cognitive science, and social science relating to love, forgiveness, creativity, purpose, and the nature and origin of religious belief. We also encourage informed, open-minded dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians as they apply themselves to the Big Questions in their particular disciplines.