The Wolfson Foundation archive
Since 2008, the Royal Society Library has managed the archive of historic grants files belonging to The Wolfson Foundation.
The Foundation is an independent charity, established in 1955 by Sir Isaac Wolfson, and awards grants to support and promote excellence in the fields of science, technology and medicine, as well as supporting the arts and education.
Science funding has been a key focus for the Foundation since its inception, and the highest proportion of its grant-giving is directed towards supporting cutting edge scientific research and institutions.
The Wolfson Foundation archive is searchable through the Royal Society’s collections catalogue. Access to these files is by prior appointment only, and readers who wish to view material from the archive must have permission from the Wolfson Foundation beforehand.
To arrange to view material from the archive, please visit the Wolfson Foundation’s website for details. If you have any other questions about the archive, you can also contact us at library@royalsociety.org.
With the kind permission of the Wolfson Foundation, the Royal Society presents here a selection of stories and digitised documents from the Foundation’s archive.
Explore our resources
Anglo-Israeli Archaeological Expedition 1966: wreck detection at Acre
Funding for British and Israeli archaeologists to carry out challenging underwater research and…
Institute of Criminology: the 'Sherlock Holmes Chair'
Establishing a world-renowned institute through a grant to Cambridge University’s Department of…
The National Gallery: the missing masterpiece
A stolen portrait of the Duke of Wellington purchased with help from the Wolfson Foundation.
Rothamsted Experimental Station: mechanical cows
Supporting Norman Wingate Pirie’s research into the potential of leaf protein for human…
Royal Institution: science education
Grants from the Foundation supported the Royal Institution’s vital outreach work in the 1950s and…
Royal Opera House: dressing Covent Garden
Keeping the lights on at the Royal Opera House, both on and behind the stage.
Wolfson Research Professorship of the Royal Society: Professor Hodgkin
The story of Dorothy Hodgkin’s appointment to an inaugural chair endowed by the Wolfson…
Stoke Mandeville: the Wolfson Hall and Stadium
Building a world-class stadium for disabled athletes.
Wolfson College Cambridge: the 50 year college
Establishing Cambridge University’s first mixed college.
Wolfson College Oxford: the Riviera College
Funding a new graduate college at Oxford University.