Grants for Science Research

ADDITIONAL VENTURES

AV makes grants and/or investments to support biomedical research into a cure for single ventricle heart disease and investigations into the use of Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement for ocean-based CO2 removal.

DR. MIRIAM AND SHELDON G. ADELSON MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The foundation backs basic and clinical research into life-threatening illnesses.  

PAUL G. ALLEN FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Allen Foundation supports “high-risk, high-reward ideas in science.”

RITA ALLEN FOUNDATION

Rita Allen Foundation grants in science research primarily go to early-career scientists studying cancer, immunology, and neuroscience.

ALLIANCE FOR CANCER GENE THERAPY

ACGT focuses exclusively on supporting research for cancer management and treatment through cell and gene therapy. Its awards are substantial in size, but highly competitive.  

ALPHAWOOD FOUNDATION

Alphawood funds scientific research through its Archaeology program, which prioritizes research into Mayan society in Belize and Guatemala.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN

This funder’s science research grants focus entirely on women.

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

The American Chemical Society’s Grants program funds research, education, and community projects through research grants, fellowships, community recognition grants, and education grants. ACS provides millions of dollars annually in research funding across a range of chemistry-related disciplines.

AMERICAN HEARING RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The American Hearing Research Foundation supports research related to hearing and balance disorders.

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION

APF’s Grants support early, mid-level, and senior career scientists and investigators working in a number of mental health disciplines, including but not limited to psychology, psychoanalysis, neuropsychology, and perceptual-cognitive development.

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PRIMATOLOGISTS

The American Society of Primatologists is an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the conservation and research of nonhuman primates.

ARNOLD VENTURES

This foundation seeks transformational change. Its science giving is all about changing the status quo by increasing the rigor, transparency, and reliability of scientific research.

ALTERNATIVES FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

ARDF funds scientists working to develop alternatives to the use of animal testing in scientific research, which is a broader area than you might think.

BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE

The Battelle Memorial Institute supports STEM education near the company headquarters in Ohio. Employee giving supports science research and climate change work.

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION

The Baxter International Foundation awards science research grants to individual investigators, healthcare professionals and academic and research institutions around the world.

BAYER FOUNDATIONS

The Bayer Foundations support a number of awards and programs aimed at furthering the advancement of scientific research in a variety of areas.

ARNOLD AND MABEL BECKMAN FOUNDATION

Through its Scholars Program and Young Investigator awards, the Beckman Foundation awards research grants for innovative, boundary-pushing researchers in their undergraduate or early postdoc careers.

BELFER FAMILY FOUNDATION

Belfer has given big to a few select recipients, and usually for specific target areas like health and cybersecurity. The foundation has no website or clear application process.

BIA-ECHO FOUNDATION

The Bia-Echo Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of Nicole Shanahan, and via which she intends to give $100 million to philanthropy by 2024. The foundation focuses on women’s reproductive longevity and equality, criminal justice reform and the environment.

BLAVATNIK FAMILY FOUNDATION

The majority of Blavatnik’s grantmaking focuses on science research, with four subcategories, offering the largest unrestricted grants in their respective fields for early career scientists.

DAVID BOHNETT FOUNDATION

Bohnett’s grants for science research focus on “better appreciating and understanding great apes and chimps” by funding research into animal language.

WILLIAM K. BOWES, JR. FOUNDATION   

Bowes Foundation’s medical research grants fund California-based institutions; it’s interested in stem cell research to cure or treat serious diseases such as cancer. 

BRANSCOMB FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Branscomb Family Foundation supports education, health, science research, civic participation, and community development.

BRINSON FOUNDATION

Brinson narrowly focuses on astrophysics, cosmology, biology and geophysics. It likes to back early career scientists and to fund areas that aren’t yet attracting support from the government. 

BROAD FOUNDATION

Broad supports research related to genomics, stem cells, medical research and inflammatory bowel disease. Broad predominantly awards grants to larger institutions, and California-based groups may have an edge.  

DANA AND ALBERT BROCCOLI CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The Dana and Albert Broccoli Charitable Foundation supports scientific research programs around the United States.

BUFFETT EARLY CHILDHOOD FUND

The Buffett Early Childhood Fund supports practice, policy and science aimed at improving outcomes for at-risk children in the U.S. The fund partners with other organizations to run and evaluate Educare, a network of high quality early education schools operating in 13 states. In addition to investing in several national programs, the fund supports organizations operating in Nebraska.

BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND

Burroughs backs researchers, primarily through competitive awards, with an emphasis on biology and medical research. Deans or department heads must nominate researchers.

CATALYST FOUNDATION

The Catalyst Foundation focuses its science research grants scientific and engineering research.

CIVILIAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION

The CRDF invests in scientists that address multiple global challenges. Specifically, its science research grants support women in science.

JAMES H. CLARK FOUNDATION

The James H. Clark Foundation supports education, medical research and classical music.

CLIMATEWORKS FOUNDATION

The ClimateWorks Foundation supports climate change efforts through various programs and grantmaking in places all around the world.

COMCAST INNOVATION FUND

The Comcast Innovation Fund awards grants to investigators studying a wide variety of topics relevant to the broadband industry.

WALLACE H. COULTER FOUNDATION

The Wallace H. Coulter Foundation supports disease organizations in the United States and around the world.

CS FUND / WARSH MOTT LEGACY

The foundations’ Emerging Technologies program seeks to mitigate the serious negative social, environmental, and political consequences that can accompany technological developments.

SHURL AND KAY CURCI FOUNDATION

Curci’s science research funding goes to regenerative medicine, cell biology, stem cells, nanotechnology and nanoscience.

CURE STARTS NOW FOUNDATION

CSN’s Research Grants support institutions and researchers “whose research focuses on cancers that present the greatest opportunities for a homerun cancer cure.”

DANA FOUNDATION

Past grantmaking at the Dana Foundation was sourced from its Research and Neuroscience and Society grantmaking programs.

DANPAUL FOUNDATION

The DanPaul Foundation supports science research focusing on improving the quality of life for people around the world.

CAMILLE AND HENRY DREYFUS FOUNDATION

The foundation awards a biennial Dreyfus Prize in Chemical Sciences to one outstanding researcher for “exceptional and original research that has advanced the field in a major way.”

DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s science research grants support the encouragement of clinical research careers and organizations advancing biomedical research and innovation.   

ELSEVIER FOUNDATION

The Elsevier Foundation supports science research programs in developing countries around the world.

EPPLEY FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH

The Eppley Foundation for Research invests in research that addresses pure and applied sciences including chemistry, biology, and physics.

LELAND FIKES FOUNDATION

This foundation invests in genetics and cancer research.

FOUNDATION FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT

The Foundation for Child Development’s Young Scholars Program supports early career researchers in the field of early childhood development and education.

FRIEDKIN CONSERVATION FUND

The Friedkin Conservation Fund conducts scientific research and monitoring in order to “make effective wildlife management decisions and promote long-term sustainability of wildlife and their wilderness.”

BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION

While you wouldn’t exactly call the Gates Foundation a pure science funder, its sprawling programs frequently involve research. This is a major funder making large grants supporting its interests.

GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Gatsby is one of the Sainsbury Family organizations. Their science research funding concentrates on plant sciences in the context of global issues including population growth and climate change. 

GENENTECH FOUNDATION

This foundation supports science research through its education giving by working to build a career pipe-line for future scientists.

GERBER FOUNDATION

The Gerber Foundation supports pediatric research studies across the United States.

GLENN MEDICAL RESEARCH FOUNDATION

The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research aims to extend the healthy productive years of life through research on the mechanisms of biological aging.

GOOD VENTURES

Much of this funder’s science research focuses on studying COVID-19 and resilient food production.

GOOGLE.ORG

Google runs the occasional research prize, but it also makes academic research grants for computer science and related fields. Subjects of interest include machine learning and human-computer interaction. 

HARRY FRANK GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION

Guggenheim focuses on social and natural sciences research with regard to violence and aggression. Research priorities are fairly diverse in this regard.

HEISING-SIMONS FOUNDATION

Heising-Simons supports basic research, with priority to the physical sciences, including astronomy, cosmology, climate change, and fundamental physics.

HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST

Helmsley backs basic medical research and research to improve the quality of biomedical research overall. Tends to fund larger, well-known organizations. 

LYDA HILL FOUNDATION

Lyda Hill Foundation seeks to support research with the potential to drive “transformational” advances. It tends to fund work at larger scientific and medical institutions.

HOWARD HUGHES MEDICAL INSTITUTE   

HHMI is one of the world’s leaders in funding biomedical research projects and awards grants nationally and internationally. Competition is stiff, but winners are well funded.

WILLIAM H. HURT FOUNDATION

The foundation funds a number of hospitals, medical institutions, and other disease-related nonprofits.

HUTCHINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Hutchins Foundation’s Health grantmaking supports “world-class basic research,” “translation of discovery into therapy and access to health-care,” and “services for patients in need.”

INCITE LABS

Incite Labs supports grantmaking in the environment and climate change spaces, as well as community development, work and economic opportunity, and science research. It does limited grantmaking to civic engagement organizations.

CHARLES E. KAUFMAN FOUNDATION

Kaufman gives to basic science in biology, chemistry, and physics at research institutions, but only in Pennsylvania. It awards grants through a competitive application process, with LOI deadlines early in the year.

KAVLI FOUNDATION

Kavli awards grants in astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience and theoretical physics, but primarily through its Kavli Institutes and high-profile, million-dollar Kavli Prize. 

W.M. KECK FOUNDATION 

Keck is interested in high-risk, high-reward research. Its Science and Engineering and Medical Research programs each award only a dozen or so grants each year, but million-dollar grants are common. 

KOHLBERG FOUNDATION

Kohlberg’s grants for science research focus on human health, integrative medicine, and disease research.

CHARLES LAFITTE FOUNDATION

The Charles Lafitte Foundation invests in projects that address improved healthcare and disease prevention.

LALOR FOUNDATION

The Lalor Foundation’s Fellowship Program support postdoctoral research on mammalian reproductive biology “as related to the regulation of fertility.”

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

The MacArthur Foundation funds work that addresses  justice, peace, and the environment, while many research grants involve social and environmental sciences. 

MASIMO FOUNDATION

The Masimo Foundation mainly focuses its science research grants on improving patient safety and outcomes; however the foundation also awards grants for disease research.

G. HAROLD AND LEILA Y. MATHERS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION  

Mathers awards grants for research projects in the life sciences. Within that scope, its giving is broad, both in terms of research scope and geographic location. 

JAMES S. MCDONNELL FOUNDATION

JSMF supports research into human cognition, brain science, and the study of complex systems, with a focus on gaining new knowledge and applying it in the real world. 

AMBROSE MONELL FOUNDATION

This private foundation has loosely defined guidelines behind its many medium-sized grants but backs a lot of science research, especially related to curing diseases.  

GORDON AND BETTY MOORE FOUNDATION

Moore thinks big and doesn’t open the door to many. Focus areas include plant science, marine microbiology, data-driven discovery, and environmental conservation.

MUSK FOUNDATION

The Musk Foundation is the personal philanthropic organization of Elon Musk. It makes grants to support renewable energy research and advocacy, human space exploration research and advocacy, pediatric research, science and engineering education, and development of safe artificial intelligence to benefit humanity.

NAMM FOUNDATION

NAMM’s Music Research program supports scientific research concerning “the impact of music making and music education, the importance of music at every stage of life, and relationships between music and physical and emotional wellness.”

OPEN PHILANTHROPY PROJECT FUND

The OPP has been exploring life sciences and social sciences for a grantmaking focus. Potentially sizable grants but they may be hard to land. 

DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION

Packard’s science research tends to support environmental conservation and climate change projects. The foundation is also known for its esteemed Packard Fellowships.

PERSHING SQUARE FOUNDATION

The Pershing Square Foundation supports science research organizations in the United States and around the world.

PEW CHARITABLE TRUSTS

Pew conducts and supports science research via its environmental science and food and drug safety subprograms.

PFIZER

The Pfizer Foundation works to improve access to healthcare and promote medical innovation through education.

MARTIN R. PRINCE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

The Prince Charitable Foundation’s grantmaking for scientific research reflects its founder’s involvement in the field of medical imaging.

QUADRIVIUM

Grants for science research focus on helping journalists provide more accurate science reporting.

RESEARCH CORPORATION FOR SCIENCE ADVANCEMENT

RCSA gives several mostly small and medium-sized grants for high-risk research, usually to individuals or small teams, as well as to early-career scientists and researchers teaching at the undergraduate level. 

ROBERTSON FOUNDATION

Robertson supports a range of science research and researchers related to medicine. 

ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION

The foundation’s Emerging Frontiers program’s Innovation subprogram works to “amplify and complement work across all the Foundation’s other initiatives by finding new ways to utilize data, to strengthen partnerships and to extract more leverage from existing networks.”

ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE

The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene supports early career scientists conducting research in any discipline related to tropical medicine and global health.

DAMON RUNYON CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION

DRCRF’s grantmaking supports cancer research at academic institutions and other research organizations through a series of award programs. It also likes to support physician-scientists.

RUSSELL SAGE FOUNDATION

RSF’s Behavioral Economics program funds “research that uses insights and methods from psychology, economics, sociology, political science and other social sciences to examine and improve social and living conditions in the United States,” as well as a two-week summer institute and small grants for doctoral students.

SANOFI GENZYME

Sanofi Genzyme supports scientific research taking place at research institutions around the world.

SCHMIDT OCEAN INSTITUTE

This organization accepts applications to use SOI’s 272-foot ship and its equipment for ocean research. Opportunities are also available for undergraduate and graduate students to join research teams. 

THOMAS AND STACEY SIEBEL FOUNDATION

Siebel gives scholarships for leading science graduate students. It also funds university research through a Stem Cell Institute and an Energy Institute. Eligibility for all of the above is limited to member universities. 

SIMONS FOUNDATION

Simons is one of the country’s largest foundations devoted entirely to science and math research. Its three main programs support mathematics and physical sciences, life sciences, and autism research.

ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION

Sloan’s flagship program is the Sloan Research Fellowships, but the foundation is open to LOIs in a number of its other programs. 

SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT

The Society for Research in Child Development supports researchers that work to advance developmental science improving humans’ lives.

LAZLO N. TAUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Tauber Foundation names scientific research as an area of grantmaking interest and aims to support “protocols that advance innovative scientific investigation.” It particularly funds mental health research and cancer research.

TEMPLETON FOUNDATION 

This massive, quirky foundation gives large sums toward basic science research and is devoted to discoveries related to the “[b]ig questions of human purpose and reality.” 

THRASHER RESEARCH FUND

Thrasher’s science research funding goes to investigators studying pediatric illnesses, among other topics. Scientists around the world are eligible. 

VOLO FOUNDATION

The VoLo Foundation tends to award its science research grants to independent investigators at larger academic institutions.

WAITT FOUNDATION

Waitt’s science research focuses on ocean conservation and sustainability.

WELCH FOUNDATION

Welch only supports educational institutions that work on chemistry in Texas. It provides research and departmental grants, endowed chairs, scholarships and educational programs for high school students.

WELLCOME TRUST

The UK-based Wellcome Trust invests in a range of science research that investigates the biomedical, population health, humanities, and social sciences. 

WHITEHALL FOUNDATION

Whitehall supports researchers working in the life sciences, with a focus on neurobiology.

XEROX

Xerox makes grants through its Science and Technology area to support science research. Many of its grantees in this space are academic organizations, which the company views as crucial for furthering scientific research and training the next generation of scientists.

ZEGAR FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Zegar Family Foundation prioritizes basic scientific and medical research that is underfunded or overlooked by other funding sources.