ABOUT US

The Noyce Foundation

The Noyce Foundation was created by the Noyce family in 1990 to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Robert N. Noyce, co-founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name.

Although he was an individual of daunting talents and intellect who was honored by two presidents as well as his academic and industry peers around the world, Bob Noyce also remained a humble and approachable man who believed fervently in democracy. In everything the Noyce Foundation undertakes, we are committed to promoting the qualities that Bob Noyce embodied: optimism, creativity, risk taking, and determination.

In recognition of Bob’s concern about the shrinking pipeline of students interested and committed to science-related careers, the Noyce Foundation has focused on math, science, and supporting work in research and policy. Much of our focus has been on improving instruction in math, science, and early literacy in public schools. As schools focused on math and literacy in response to No Child Left Behind, leaving science behind, we emphasized support for out-of-school science programs that show promise of sustaining and engaging students’ interest through middle school, a time when students tend to make critical decisions about subjects that interest them. Our informal science initiative includes support for leadership development in science centers.

For a complete list of recent grants please see the annual report.