--- --- May 14, 2026 # Cynthia Friend Supporting science research by Nandita Raghuram  Courtesy Kavli Foundation Last year, the federal government canceled or paused [thousands](https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-026-00088-9/index.html) of grants for science research, an approach some [described](https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/foundations-rethink-research-dollars-funding-pulled-2025a1000j8m?form=fpf) as a “wrecking-ball” to scientific development. While acknowledging that philanthropy can never replace federal science funding, Cynthia Friend is using her position as president of the Kavli Foundation to [encourage](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01544-8.epdf?no%5Fpublisher%5Faccess=1&r3%5Freferer=nature) collaboration among private funders in order to increase the impact of their collective dollars. “This is a pivotal moment for science funding, and I do think philanthropy is playing an outsized role beyond just its resources,” says Friend, who serves as board chair of the funder network Science Philanthropy Alliance. Friend has also steered Kavli toward [supporting](https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2023-8-3-big-changes-underway-at-kavli-starting-with-a-program-to-aid-scholars-escaping-global-strife) risky research that might not secure funding from government sources, and encourages peer funders to do the same. The foundation, for example, has backed quantum materials [research](https://www.kavlifoundation.org/news/philanthropic-funders-must-work-together). Philanthropy, she explains, should back early-stage projects that might not prove successful, but still have potential to make a substantial difference. She likens it to a venture-capital wing of funding. Kavli also [supports](https://www.kavlifoundation.org/kavli-scholars) scientists whose work has been “disrupted by unexpected challenges,” such as abrupt funding cuts. The program prioritizes scientists in the early stages of their careers, a critical segment of the community. “We really need to fund early-career people so they stay in the system and can thrive,” Friend says. “We have to make sure we have a bridge to the future.” TIME100 Philanthropy: Cynthia Friend ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-philanthropy/2026/cynthia-friend/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-philanthropy/2026/cynthia-friend/"},"headline":"Cynthia Friend","datePublished":"2026-05-14T12:02:09.810Z","dateModified":"2026-05-14T12:02:10.029Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collection/time100-philanthropy/2026/cynthia-friend/","keywords":["list","franchise","Accolades","Magazine","Philanthropy 2026"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt35735845cce79456/69fe3bb87f8a703c5f04cc9c/t100-philanthropy-Cynthia_Friend.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y27.63&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nandita Raghuram"}],"creator":"Nandita Raghuram","articleSection":"TIME100","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt35735845cce79456/69fe3bb87f8a703c5f04cc9c/t100-philanthropy-Cynthia_Friend.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675%2Coffset-x0.00%2Coffset-y27.63&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/time100/","name":"TIME100"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collection/time100-philanthropy/2026/cynthia-friend/","name":"Cynthia Friend"}}]}] ```