The Science Philanthropy Vibe Shift

Science philanthropy has moved through distinct eras: industrial fortunes building permanent scientific institutions, professionalised foundations working alongside government, and venture philanthropy applying investor logic to giving. This paper examines a new wave, funded by wealth from software, AI and crypto, that is directed at science itself.

This wave builds new institutions rather than endowing existing ones, experiments with funding mechanisms such as Focused Research Organisations, fast grants, prizes and retroactive funding, and favours conviction and taste over peer review. The paper characterises the shift as a move from generous to generative, from traditional institutions to independent outsiders, and from funding science to ‘restoring’ it.