About Us

A purple-stained cell, an orange and black lava planet, and a rough diamond represent our three scientific divisions. Courtesy of Carnegie Science.

Where the next generation of big ideas are born.

Carnegie Science research breakthroughs have fundamentally changed how we understand biology, our planet, and the universe.

Empowering Investigators

We are one of few organizations worldwide where dedicated scientists can choose to explore new research directions that could redefine our collective future.

Forefront Science

From genomes to ecosystems and from planets to the cosmos, Carnegie Science is an incubator for cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research that is expanding our knowledge of all that is around us. On a scale encompassing the entire natural world, and at the nexus of a broad array of disciplines, our investigators are tackling the biggest questions of our time. What are the origins of our universe? How did life emerge on our planet and can it be discovered elsewhere? How do we combat the devastation of climate change and promote sustainability?

Andrew Carnegie founded this institution in 1902 as a home for world-transforming scientific discoveries. Today, Carnegie Science’s mission—to advance investigation, research, and discovery, and apply that knowledge to the improvement of humankind—is more urgent than ever. An independent research organization, we provide our scientists with the flexibility to follow their curiosity, seize opportunities as they arise, and define new fields of investigation.

With boundless creativity and broad expertise, our network includes four Nobel Prize winners, six National Medals of Science recipients, and 12 living members of the National Academy of Sciences. Every day, our researchers continue to ask and answer compelling questions where we have the expertise, the leadership to mobilize the international research community, and the vision to transform our understanding.

We are now entering a time of scientific discovery unparalleled in our history. This new age brings a convergence of trends in scientific practice and technology that allows interdisciplinary research to thrive. New instrumentation and technologies, such as next-generation massive telescopes and gene-editing tools like CRISPR, are opening entirely new fields of research. And incredible advances in computation are revealing deeper and ever-more complex opportunities for insight. Our growing partnership with Caltech, including significant collaborations on the technology driving 21st-century science, is accelerating our ability to capitalize on this pivotal moment.

An Outsized Impact

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    72 Principal Investigators

    The curiosity, creativity, and ingenuity of our Staff Scientists, Staff Associates & Research Scientists form the cornerstone of Carnegie's tremendous impact on the scientific endeavor.

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    Postdocs

    A rigorous postdoctoral program provides a launchpad for the next generation of scientific leaders. Their successes in academia, industry, and government burnish our reputation.

Carnegie at a Glance

A portrait photo of John Mulchaey
Earth as seen from space
looking upward in a grove of aspen trees with golden yellow leaves and bright blue sky
Diana Roman on the flank of the Cleveland volcano. Courtesy of Anna Barth of the University of California Berkeley. Photo taken under Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Research and Monitoring Special Use Permit #74500-16-009.

Working at Carnegie

Carnegie's unique structure elevates collaboration and collegiality, encourages scientists to think across disciplines and pursue high-risk lines of inquiry that have the potential to yield exceptional results. Discoveries made here will enhance our understanding of the universe and increase biodiversity, reduce extinction, and improve quality of life—all because brilliant minds have the time, intellectual freedom, and unmatched resources to forge new paths of study.

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Andrew Carnegie portrait

A Legacy of Discovery

Carnegie has endured and thrived for more than a century because our founder understood that powerful results can be achieved when great scientists have the freedom and resources to follow their curiosity, pursue novel ideas, and tackle big questions.

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Our Research Divisions