Grantmaker · Funders · New York, NY · Est. 2024
Schmidt Sciences is a New York–based U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Schmidt Sciences, LLC) founded in 2024 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to advance science and technology for public benefit, with philanthropic focus areas including AI & advanced computing, astrophysics & space, biosciences, climate, and “science systems” programs. It frames its approach as funding early-stage, high-risk hypotheses and building interdisciplinary communities and platforms that aim to change how research is conducted, including by pairing grants with tools, convenings, and (in some AI programs) access to relevant compute and research infrastructure.
Within AI & advanced computing, Schmidt Sciences publicly describes multiple grantmaking programs spanning (1) foundational AI safety science (including LLM evaluation/testing approaches), (2) AI research for societal impact (e.g., AI2050 fellowships), (3) AI at work (field studies with labor economists), and (4) AI initiatives that bridge to humanities scholarship (e.g., its Humanities and AI Virtual Institute). In climate, the organization uses multi-year “virtual institute” structures that combine research teams, datasets/platform-building goals, and efforts to translate model outputs into decision-relevant tools. Examples include the Virtual Institute for Earth’s Water (VIEW) and the Virtual Earth Systems Research Institute (VESRI), with public announcements describing both funding levels and measurable platform reach/speedups from prior institute rounds.
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Nineteen teams will use AI to expand the study of art, dance, history, music, literature and more across thousands of years of global culture. Contact: Carlie Wiener – cwiener@schmidtsciences.org NEW YORK— Using AI to reconstruct a marble map of Rome that shattered in 226 AD. Ana
Schmidt Sciences Names 28 AI2050 Fellows Tackling the Defining AI Challenges of Our TimeSupported by up to $16 million over three years, the fifth cohort of 28 AI2050 Fellows will address the most important long-term problems in AI which need to be solved for AI to be truly beneficial to society by 2050. Contact: Carlie Wiener – cwiener@schmidtsciences.org NEW YORK
Schmidt Sciences commits up to $20M to eight standout researchers named 2026 PolymathsLeading scientists making ambitious leaps beyond their established areas of research will each receive up to $2.5 million to pursue bold new lines of inquiry. Contact: Carlie Wiener, cwiener@schmidtsciences.org NEW YORK— Schmidt Sciences announced today the eight 2026 Schmidt Pol
AI agents evolve their own languagesSchmidt Sciences’ new AI Agents Evolving Communication and Coordination pilot program works toward advancing foundational research on multi-agent communication and coordination, and building an open-source platform to investigate multi-agent systems in complex, high-pressure envi
Schmidt Sciences grants $26 million to researchers translating climate models to climate actionFive international teams will bridge abstract global climate models to the realities of grids, cities, farms, factories and communities Media Contact: Carlie Wiener, cwiener@schmidtsciences.org NEW YORK—Five international research teams will receive $26 million over five years fr
The Future of Nutrition Research May Run Through the SewerThe post The Future of Nutrition Research May Run Through the Sewer appeared first on Schmidt Sciences .
Five-Year Climate Research Effort Reshapes Climate Modeling, Expands Information AccessFive years of Virtual Earth Systems Research Institute -supported research has reached more than 305,000 users in 169 countries; Schmidt Sciences opens new funding round Media Contact: Carlie Wiener, cwiener@schmidtsciences.org NEW YORK — Nine teams have reshaped the modeling and
World’s Largest Animal Migration and Ocean Gyres Play Critical Roles in Global Carbon CycleTwo back-to-back expeditions in the Southwest Atlantic Ocean investigated critical, understudied mechanisms driving carbon export to the deep sea: the guts of migrating animals and phytoplankton living in vast ocean gyres. Media Contact: Kristen Kusek, kkusek@schmidtocean.org Vid
Report Maps Priorities for India’s Low-Carbon Future350+ experts across seven scientific institutions pinpoint research goals to accelerate a scalable and sustainable future for 1.4 billion people Media Contact: Carlie Wiener cwiener@schmidtsciences.org NEW YORK/NEW DELHI—More than 350 researchers from seven of India’s leading sci
From Microplastics to Regenerative Medicine, 2026 Schmidt Science Fellows Will Break Down Barriers And Advance DiscoveryThe post From Microplastics to Regenerative Medicine, 2026 Schmidt Science Fellows Will Break Down Barriers And Advance Discovery appeared first on Schmidt Sciences .
Schmidt Sciences announced eight 2026 Schmidt Polymaths, each receiving up to $2.5 million over five years; the cohort is described as exploring topics including immune systems, climate-resilient food crops, and AI models trained on human behavior.
AI agents evolve their own languagesSchmidt Sciences describes a pilot program on multi-agent communication and coordination, including early results from a project introducing GlossoGen to study language evolution among intelligent agent populations.
Schmidt Sciences grants $26 million to researchers translating climate models to climate actionSchmidt Sciences announced $26 million over five years for five teams to translate energy-transition models into actionable approaches and technology advances through DEVI.
Five-Year Climate Research Effort Reshapes Climate Modeling, Expands Information AccessSchmidt Sciences describes outcomes from five years of VESRI-supported research, including reported user reach, compute efficiency improvements, and a new funding round tied to VESRI.
Schmidt Sciences Awards $33 Million to Create Comprehensive Account of Global Freshwater AvailabilitySchmidt Sciences announced $33 million over five years for four teams to advance freshwater measurement and build a “global water ledger” through VIEW.
As part of the AI at Work program, Schmidt Sciences announced over $3 million in awards to 19 real-world studies led by labor economists to assess AI’s effects on jobs, wages, productivity, and careers.