The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford will receive a $7.5 million donation from its founder, Fred Kavli, which will be matched by funds from the University.

In a statement concerning the gift, Stanford President John Hennessy praised Kavli’s generosity, noting that in “an era of federal cuts to basic science,” private philanthropy has become vital to furthering research. The University hopes additional donors will come forward soon to help increase the overall gift to $20 million.

The Kavli Institute was founded in 2001 after an initial $7.5 million gift Kavli made to get the project up and running. Through his foundation, Kavli has helped found research institutes at 15 universities worldwide.