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Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Institution of Washington in 1902 as an organization for scientific discovery. His intention was for the institution to be home to exceptional individuals—men and women with imagination and extraordinary dedication capable of working at the cutting edge of their fields. Carnegie scientists have worked in six scientific departments on the West and East Coasts. On December 8, 2019, it was announced that two departments, the Geophysical Laboratory and Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, which share a campus in Washington, D.C., will be merging to allow a broader and more interdisciplinary investigation of the origin and evolution of planets and the materials from which they are made.
Our legal name, the Carnegie Institution of Washington, has led to confusion because four of our departments are outside Washington and because our legal name does not distinguish us from other non-profits created by our donor. As a result, the institution adopted a new look and name in 2007—the Carnegie Institution for Science. The new name closely associates the words “Carnegie” and “science” and thereby reveals our core identity. The institution remains officially and legally the Carnegie Institution of Washington, but now has a public identity that more clearly describes our work. The institution is additionally confused with other, unaffiliated Carnegies listed at this link.
Carnegie investigators are leaders in the fields of plant biology, developmental biology, Earth and planetary sciences, astronomy, and global ecology. They seek answers to questions about the structure of the universe, the formation of our solar system and other planetary systems, the behavior and transformation of matter when subjected to extreme conditions, the origin of life, the function of genes, and the development of organisms from single-celled egg to adult.
The Carnegie Institution for Science is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is an endowed, independent, nonprofit institution under the leadership of President Eric D. Isaacs. Significant additional support comes from federal grants and private donations. A board of trustees, consisting of leaders in business, the sciences, education, and public service, oversees Carnegie’s operations. Each of the six departments has its own scientific director who manages day-to-day operations.
In addition to the scientists on staff, there is a constantly changing roster of pre- and postdoctoral fellows and associates, as well as visiting investigators, at each facility. Carnegie is also involved in education at the lower levels.