Creating the Spark

NOMIS is a private nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing human progress by enabling high-risk basic research at the intersection of disciplines. We support exceptional scientists and scholars, build long-term institutional alliances and, by connecting people, ideas and institutions, foster a community dedicated to insight.

Driven by his fascination with the unyielding curiosity of the human spirit, Georg Heinrich “Heini” Thyssen-Bornemisza established the NOMIS Foundation in Switzerland in 2008. He believed outstanding talent should be given the freedom, trust and conditions to pursue research at the frontier of knowledge. His vision continues to guide the foundation today, shaping how we support bold thinkers, unconventional questions and the pursuit of insight across the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. While the path and the outcome may be uncertain, high-risk basic research has the potential to fundamentally change how we understand the world.

We believe discovery begins with people. Researchers who ask questions others may overlook. Scientists and scholars who challenge established thinking. Individuals with the courage, rigor and imagination to follow their curiosity into new territory. We provide funding and create opportunities in which these pioneering researchers can thrive.

“Creating the spark” is the expression of this purpose. It is the moment when a question becomes a path forward, when a new connection becomes visible, when research opens a deeper way of understanding life, the mind, humanity and the world we share.

People are our inspiration | Research is our passion | Insight is our reward