The Brown Institute for Basic Sciences at Caltech was established in 2023 through a $400-million gift to the Institute from entrepreneur, philanthropist, and alumnus Ross M. Brown (BS '56, MS '57). The Brown Institute continues to manage the Brown Investigator Awards that were established by the Brown Science Foundation in 2020.

Caltech and Brown share a common purpose: advancing fundamental science discoveries with the potential to seed breakthroughs that benefit society.

"My hope is the support provided by the Brown Investigator Awards will help to spark and encourage the researchers' creativity and enable them to pursue riskier innovative ideas that extend beyond their existing research efforts and align with new or developing passions," Brown says. "By supporting mid-career faculty, we can provide funding at a time when they are poised and prepared to make profound contributions to their fields."