arXiv Announces New Multiyear Philanthropic Commitments ($17.2 Million) to Support Its Launch as an Independent Nonprofit

Here’s the Full Text of Today’s Announcement From arXiv:

Three leading philanthropic organizations provide multimillion-dollar support for  platform development, organizational capacity, and continued service to the global  research community 

arXiv announced new multiyear philanthropic commitments  from Simons Foundation International, XTX Markets, and Siegel Family Endowment to  support the organization’s establishment as an independent nonprofit. The $17.2 million  investment, spanning three to five years, will support arXiv as it transitions to independence by  strengthening its technical infrastructure, supporting ongoing operations, and improving services  for researchers around the world.  

The announcement comes two months after arXiv introduced its inaugural Chief Executive  Officer and Board of Directors, key steps in the organization’s transition from Cornell University  to an independent nonprofit dedicated to the stewardship of one of the world’s most widely used  research repositories.  

For 35 years, arXiv has been a trusted venue where researchers can share and access scientific  findings. Today, the platform serves millions of users annually and plays an essential role in  scholarly communication across physics, mathematics, computer science, quantitative biology,  quantitative finance, statistics, electrical engineering and systems science, and economics.  

The newly announced commitments will support three core areas of work:  

• General operation and ongoing improvement of arXiv’s services for the research  community;
•  Continued technical development of the platform, including work related to the  management of AI-generated content and other emerging challenges in scholarly  communication; and
• Strengthening of arXiv as an independent nonprofit, including investments in governance  and organizational operations.

“I am grateful for the commitments from Simons Foundation International, XTX Markets, and  Siegel Family Endowment, which put arXiv on solid footing as we move into this next chapter,”  said Penelope Lewis, Chief Executive Officer of arXiv. “Their generous support provides a 

strong foundation and momentum for arXiv to continue to grow and serve the research  community for the long term.” The new commitments build on previous philanthropic support  for arXiv. arXiv gratefully acknowledges their community-based donors, including member  organizations, foundations, affiliates, sponsors, and longstanding supporters. 

Donor Perspectives 

Simons Foundation International 

Building on the Simons Foundation’s long-standing support of arXiv, Simons Foundation  International has made a new multi-year commitment to support the organization’s next phase as  an independent nonprofit.  

“For 35 years, arXiv has made math and science more open, transparent, accessible and  collaborative,” said David Spergel, President, Simons Foundation. “By growing into an  independent nonprofit, arXiv will be positioned to evolve and modernize its systems to better  serve the scientific community and to secure its future.”  

XTX Markets 

XTX Markets and its founder, Alex Gerko, have supported arXiv’s mission for the past two  years. The firm is now making a new multi-year commitment to strengthen arXiv’s role as a  trusted platform for open scientific research.  

Simon Coyle, Head of Philanthropy, XTX Markets said, “For decades, arXiv has been an  important bedrock for open science. Now, with rapid advances in AI driving changes across  academia, it is even more valuable to have robust, open-source infrastructure for science. XTX  Markets is delighted to continue our support for arXiv in this important endeavour.”  

Siegel Family Endowment  

Siegel Family Endowment has made a multi-year commitment to arXiv, advancing a  shared vision for equitable digital infrastructure and open knowledge.  

“Open access to knowledge is a cornerstone of a healthy research ecosystem, but it is also  essential to a thriving digital ecosystem and to ensuring people can equitably access and  participate in the knowledge that shapes our world,” said Joshua Elder, SVP & Head of  Grantmaking at Siegel Family Endowment. “We’re looking forward to supporting arXiv in its  next chapter as essential infrastructure, enabling communities to share ideas, build on one  another’s work, and sustain a living body of knowledge.” 

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