The history of the Novartis Foundation

The Novartis Foundation is the direct successor to the Ciba Foundation, which was established as a legal entity in 1947. The change of name (in 1997) was a consequence of the creation of the Novartis company, resulting from the merger of Ciba and Sandoz. At the opening ceremony on 22 June 1949, Lord Beveridge summed up our main aim to provide a forum where scientists from across the world could meet and exchange information and ideas by remarking: 'This place itself is not a laboratory for mixing compounds, but we do mean to make it a laboratory for mixing scientists.'

Since then, we have been instilling a spirit of cooperation in the international scientific community and promoting scientific excellence through our activities. In addition to arranging internationally acclaimed meetings, we provide accommodation for visiting scientists and their societies and publish books. Visited by thousands of guests over the years, including many of the world's leading scientists, the Novartis Foundation plays a vital role in fostering international collaboration and broadening the public's knowledge and understanding of science.

An independent view
The Foundation was the brainchild of Dr Robert Käppeli, Managing Director (and later President) of CIBA Limited. This perceptive man recognized the particular importance of traffic in ideas and information, independent of commercial pressures and restrictions. He insisted that the Foundation had no commercial ties, a view still shared by Novartis. Although Novartis provides financial support, it is not represented on the Board of Trustees and occupies only a minority of seats on the Executive Council.

At the heart of the scientific community
Our headquarters at 41 Portland Place are in the centre of London and at the heart of the international scientific community. Strong channels of communication between London and the rest of the world allied to the fact that English is the international language of science make London an ideal home. The laws under which UK-based charities operate also ensure complete operational independence and offer considerable fiscal advantages.

Promoting scientific excellence
It was decided at the outset that the Foundation should have three major functions the organization of scientific meetings, the maintenance of a library and the provision of accommodation for visiting scientists. The responsibility for establishing the Foundation fell to the first Director, Dr (later Sir) Gordon Wolstenholme, and the activities have been further developed and promoted under his successors, Dr David Evered and Dr Derek Chadwick.

[We hope soon to expand this page by including material from the book "Portrait of a Foundation: a brief history of the Ciba Foundation and its Environment", published by the Foundation in 1993.]