Spotlight
In TIME, Nicholas B. Dirks, president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, makes the case for investing in scientists, not just projects. He highlights the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists as a model of unrestricted support. The Awards give early-career researchers the freedom to decide how funding can best advance their science. This flexibility enables exploration beyond the constraints of conventional grants. Dirks notes that recipients have founded more than 50 companies, while emphasizing that scientific impact extends beyond commercial success. Philanthropy, he argues, complements public and institutional funding by supporting curiosity and discovery.
Elaina Sutley, the 2025 Blavatnik Award Laureate in Physical Sciences and Engineering, is investigating how to make manufactured homes safer in extreme winds without compromising affordability. In an article co-authored with Arindam Chowdhury, she describes first-of-their-kind, full-scale tests at Florida International University’s Wall of Wind facility, examining three manufactured homes and seven installation systems. Preliminary findings revealed weaknesses in commonly used installation systems, while showing that homes built above federal strength requirements and secured with robust anchoring performed well in winds exceeding 110 mph. The research combines laboratory experiments, post-disaster investigations and community engagement to identify practical improvements in construction and installation. Sutley and her colleagues have also worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to improve installation practices for post-disaster temporary housing and are developing guidance for state and local governments. Their work highlights the potential for stronger building standards and better installation practices to protect the more than 22 million Americans who live in manufactured housing.
Hundreds of New Yorkers joined Ronald McDonald House New York (RMH-NY) for its Annual Gala on Tuesday, October 6 at Cipriani Wall Street, raising more than $4.1 million to support children and families facing pediatric cancer and other serious illnesses. The evening celebrated a year of growth and transformation for RMH-NY, while honoring those whose advocacy and generosity help make the organization’s work possible. At the heart of the evening, eight-year-old Alessia, her parents and younger sister took the stage to share their experience facing serious illness and the role RMH-NY played in their journey, offering stability, connection and support when their family needed it most. The family first stayed at RMH-NY on East 73rd Street while Alessia recovered from a stem cell transplant in one of RMH-NY's six post-transplant suites, allowing her to recover alongside her family and close to her care team during a time when she otherwise would have needed to remain isolated in the hospital.This year’s Gala, made possible through the support of major event sponsors AIG, Arch Capital, Blavatnik Family Foundation, Essent, The Fidelis Partnership and Travelers, recognized four leaders for their dedication to RMH-NY’s mission: Ken Alpert, President, KA Design Group; Maria Olivo, Chief Risk Officer and EVP, Enterprise Risk Management, Reinsurance and Strategic Development, Travelers; Maamoun Rajeh, President, Arch Capital Group Ltd.; and William Spiegel, Chief Executive Officer, Accredited Global, Inc.
Billboard has included the Warner Music Blavatnik Center for Music Business at Howard University in its 2026 list of Top Music Business Schools. Led by music industry executive Jasmine “Jazz” Young, the Center combines academic excellence with real-world application to prepare students for careers in the music industry. Students learn from practitioners with experience at Warner Music Group, Def Jam, Atlantic Records and Live Nation. In partnership with the RIAA, students have explored the legal, ethical, creative and commercial implications of artificial intelligence for music creation, ownership and artists’ rights. The Center also continually updates its courses to reflect contemporary music and culture, including a new offering centered on the career of Cardi B.
Providing many of the world's best researchers, scientists, and universities with support, and funding to discover breakthroughs that solve humankind's greatest challenges.
The Foundation contributes to renowned institutions that showcase the breadth of arts and culture, including performance, exhibition and education.
The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
