$2 million for AAAS Science Journalism Awards

One of the world's oldest awards for science journalism is now worth $2 million. Not that all the cash goes to a single winner, it is an endowment to fund the scheme into the future.

The announcement from the AAAS, made some time ago but just sent out on the association's monthly newsletter, says that the "Kavli Foundation has provided a $2 million endowment that will ensure the future of the prestigious Science Journalism Awards program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science".

The original backer, the engineering company Westinghouse, funded the "Westinghouse Awards" for nearly 50 years. From 2010, the name changes to the AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award.

In 2000 Fred Kavli, "a prominent California business leader and noted philanthropist" set up the foundation which "is currently actively involved in establishing major research institutes at leading universities and institutions in the United States, Europe and Asia".

The foundation's activities include a series of science journalism bootcamps, "administered by the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology". This year's event, from 15 - 18 June, will be on nanotechnology.