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Here’s Why More Philanthropic Funders Need to Get Behind Mental Health Research
On World Mental Health Day, guest contributor Ann Richman calls for much-needed research funding to improve the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental health conditions affecting millions in the U.S.
Another Major Science Funder Dives into How Climate Change Affects Animal Brains
The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group’s newest Allen Discovery Center, based at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, will research how climate change is impacting marine animals’ nervous systems and behaviors.
Why a Top Science Funder Is Centering AI in Its Support for Biology and Life Sciences Research
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has committed $500 million over the next decade for AI-driven biomedical research. Amid broader AI fears, HHMI sees this as an area for hope.
Why Three Top Science Philanthropies Think Open Source Software’s a Good Investment
The Kavli Foundation and Wellcome Trust have joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support the development of open source software tools — often the unsung heroes in modern scientific research.
How a New Philanthropy Advisory Firm Aims to Drive Science and Tech Innovation
With initial backing from Eric and Wendy Schmidt, Renaissance Philanthropy wants to engage donors around ambitious ideas in science and tech, building out a new funding model for research and development.
What’s Next for the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation?
The Microsoft cofounder may have passed away in 2018, but his philanthropic legacy is still very much evolving. Here’s the latest from his family foundation, one of many organizations under the Allen umbrella.
Neuroscience Funders Are Moving in Unexpected Directions: Three Boundary-Pushing Initiatives
As the field advances at a quick clip, the Dana Foundation, Kavli Foundation and the late Paul Allen’s philanthropic vehicles are all pursuing ways to push neuroscience into new, cross-disciplinary territory.
Jim Simons Gave Billions for Basic Science in an Era of Short-Term Thinking
The mathematician-turned-hedge fund mogul was a pivotal figure in science giving, backing long-term breakthroughs along with his wife Marilyn. Through his children, he also started a multifaceted philanthropic dynasty.
A Longtime Neuroscience Funder Pivots to Giving the Public a Voice in Research
The Dana Foundation has been a key backer of neuroscience research for four decades. But as the field increasingly impacts broader society, the foundation wants to ensure that the science steers toward the public good.
Who’s Backing Archaeological Research? Here are Five Funders Digging Up the Past
There’s not a huge amount of funding for excavations and other research into human history and prehistory, but a handful of funders do back this work. Here are some foundations digging up the secrets of our past.
A Public-Private Cancer Funder Backs Team Science and Targets Inequities in Care and Outcomes
Cancer Grand Challenges has announced $125 million across five new grants to take on key questions in cancer research and to better understand causes of poorer health outcomes for certain patient populations.
A Family Foundation’s Refreshingly Accessible Approach to Funding Research and Education
Established in 2001 by investing legend Gary Brinson, the Chicago-based Brinson Foundation focuses on education and scientific research. We take a closer look at this uniquely transparent and accessible family foundation.
How CZI’s Tech Team Builds New Tools to Unlock Advances in Biomedical Research
One unique feature of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is that it not only funds biomedical research, it employs a team of specialists to build new technology that can accelerate that research. Here’s how it works.
Can Philanthropy and Government Work Together to Drive Socially Responsible Tech?
Five philanthropies are partnering with the National Science Foundation to advance the field of public interest technology — hopefully spurring the idea that public wellbeing must be a key element in tech development.
How the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Is Working to Ensure Equitable Access to Care
A top priority for cancer research funders is ensuring that patients receive equitable and timely access to treatment and care. We check in with a leading advocate and grantmaker to see how it’s approaching this work.
How Two Bioscience Funding Giants are Partnering to Advance Synthetic Biology Research
The Allen Institute and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative teamed up with the University of Washington to pioneer a new generation of research tools with the ability to record the life and times of individual human cells.
The Biggest XPRIZE Yet Seeks Therapies that Roll Back the Depredations of Aging
XPRIZE Foundation, the organization known for multimillion-dollar competitions to solve global problems, has announced its biggest purse ever — $101 million to develop therapies that keep us healthier, longer.
A Major Bequest Finally Puts the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence on Solid Financial Ground
The SETI Institute has been looking for extraterrestrial life for 40 years, often with limited support. Now, a $200 million bequest from Qualcomm cofounder Franklin Antonio has given it some much-needed breathing room.
Paul Allen’s Philanthropic Legacy Continues with Funding for a Brand-New Field of Health Research
The late Microsoft co-founder’s Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group has launched its newest Discovery Center. Its goal: exploring how the human nervous system and immune system interact to shape health and disease.
Starting With a Big Boost for Rare Disease Research, This Couple Are Ramping Up Their Giving
Mike and Sofia Segal came to the U.S. in 1978 from Ukraine with $120 and built a fortune in the electric power industry. Now, they’re rolling out a set of big donations, starting with a $17 million gift to fight a rare blood cancer.
After Nearly a Century Funding Science, the Sloan Foundation Is Searching for Answers Near and Far
We checked in with the president of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, one of the country’s longest-running backers of science, math, economics and technology, to learn about the foundation’s wide-ranging mix of interests.
Why This Texas Billionaire Is Giving Big for Biodiversity Science in the Lone Star State
Low-key philanthropist Stephen Winn, a Dallas-based investor and tech businessman, and his family have committed $50 million to help the University of Texas at Austin sharply expand ecology and climate research in the state.
As It Shifts Strategies, the Kavli Foundation’s Zeroing in on How Climate Change Affects the Brain
Continuing its strategic shift, the veteran science funder has launched another new program. The aim is to address an underappreciated aspect of climate change: how it affects the neural systems of humans and animals.
A Local Foundation, a Little-Known College, and a Potential HIV and Cancer Breakthrough
The Engelstad Foundation supported Touro University Nevada’s lone biomedical lab when few other funders would. A recent discovery there could lead to new treatments for HIV, and even cancer, Alzheimer’s and more.
AI for the Planet: How One of the World’s Biggest Tech Firms Is Backing AI-Powered Climate Science
Google.org is putting artificial intelligence at the center of its current efforts to foster innovation in climate research. It’s something of a return to form for a corporate funder that previously focused heavily on COVID response.
Big Changes Underway at Kavli, Starting With a Program to Aid Scholars Escaping Global Strife
For decades, the bulk of the Kavli Foundation’s funding went to establishing scientific institutes with multimillion-dollar endowments. Now, a new president is reshaping the science funder’s strategy.
A Big Gift to UC San Diego is the Latest Philanthropic Push to Better Understand Psychedelics
Psychedelics show great promise in a range of medical therapies, but legal constraints and stigma have kept public funding minimal. As a result, philanthropy remains crucial to advancing research. Here’s the latest gift.
Moved by a Schizophrenia Diagnosis, This Family Is Channeling Millions Toward Mental Health
Shari and Garen Staglin’s son Brandon began showing symptoms of schizophrenia as a teen. Today, he’s president of One Mind, which backs mental health, and the family is raising serious funds for research and more.
AI Is Suddenly Everywhere, but Philanthropy Has Been Involved for Years. Here Are the Top Funders
Artificial intelligence is on everyone’s mind now, but philanthropy has been boosting research or bracing for its implications for some time. Here are the major funders involved in the field.
Save the Bees, Bats and Butterflies: How Rotary International Is Making Pollinators a Priority
Birds, bats, bees and other insects play an integral role in global food systems, biodiversity and climate. This membership-based organization and its foundation are working to protect and restore pollinators.
