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    Burroughs Wellcome Fund

    ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
    DURHAM, NCWebsite9199915100

    About Burroughs Wellcome Fund

    The Burroughs Wellcome Fund appears to operate as a concentrated biomedical and scientific research funder based in Durham, NC, making a small number of very large awards rather than many modest grants. The available record (three grants totaling roughly $106M, all recorded under an aggregate attachment) suggests support for major research programs, institutional initiatives, or long‑term fellowships in the life sciences rather than broad, community‑level giving.

    Focus Areas

    Major biomedical research programs and infrastructureInvestigator awards and long‑term research fellowshipsScience workforce development and graduate/postdoctoral supportInstitutional grants to research universities or research centers

    Giving Approach

    Concentrated, high‑dollar giving: few (three) very large grants totaling over $100M, likely multi‑year commitments to a small set of core research programs or institutions rather than many small one‑off awards.

    Notable grantees: SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT (aggregate listing; 3 grants)

    About Burroughs Wellcome Fund

    Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s recent record is defined by three very large awards, including a 2025 grant of $37,721,546 and two grants above $34 million in 2024 and 2023. That pattern points to a funder that works through a small number of substantial commitments rather than a broad portfolio of modest awards. The available record also shows that its grantmaking is built around biomedical and scientific research, with support for major research programs, investigator awards, long-term fellowships, and institutional initiatives. The funder’s portfolio extends beyond research infrastructure into science workforce development and education. Its active programs include support for graduate enrichment in North Carolina, K-12 STEM enrichment, and science and mathematics education initiatives, alongside climate-change-and-human-health programs that connect researchers, practitioners, educators, and communicators. In the recent grant record, the same high-dollar pattern appears across awards recorded in Durham and Research Triangle Park, both in North Carolina. Burroughs Wellcome Fund also shows a strong institutional orientation. The program descriptions emphasize grants to universities, research centers, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions, with some initiatives structured as targeted programs and others as open opportunities for eligible applicants.

    What Burroughs Wellcome Fund Funds

    In science education, Burroughs Wellcome Fund supports several distinct stages of the pipeline. The Student STEM Enrichment Program is designed for primary and secondary students in North Carolina, while the Graduate Diversity Enrichment Program supports PhD students enrolled in North Carolina institutions. The funder also lists Science Education Grants and a Promoting Innovation in Science and Mathematics program, both tied to education and curriculum-focused work. Climate change and health is another visible theme. The Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants are small awards meant to build new connections among scholars, practitioners, educators, and communicators, and the Climate + Health Excellence Centers support interdisciplinary centers working on the relationship between climate change and human health. A separate Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Awards program is marked as sunset. The funder also supports career development for trainees through its Career Guidance for Trainees program, underscoring a continued interest in scientific workforce development.

    How Burroughs Wellcome Fund Gives

    Financial Snapshot

    Annual Giving

    $37.7M

    Total Assets

    $848M

    Total Revenue

    $70.5M

    Total Expenses

    $45.5M

    Typical Grant Size

    Most grants fall between $34.1M and $36M, with a median of $34.2M.

    25th Percentile

    $34.1M

    Median

    $34.2M

    75th Percentile

    $36M

    Geographic Reach

    Local1 state funded

    About 100% of grants go to recipients in NC.

    Funding intensity
    Low
    High
    Headquarters

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    EIN: 23-7225395
    3 filings on record
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    The grant-size distribution is extremely concentrated: p25 is $34,114,438, median is $34,200,360, and p75 is $35,960,953. That aligns with a model built around a few large awards rather than many smaller ones. The available recent-grant record shows three grants, all in North Carolina, and all to U.S. recipients. The structure also points to institutional grantmaking rather than individual support: the funder does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The active portfolio includes both unsolicited and non-unsolicited programs, with examples of each across education and climate-health work. The record suggests continuing support across years, with large awards appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

    Where Burroughs Wellcome Fund Makes Grants

    Grantmaking is local and entirely concentrated in North Carolina recipients in the available record. The recent grants land in Durham and Research Triangle Park, both of which appear in the top awards list. The recipient country distribution is fully U.S.-based, with no non-U.S. grants shown. Program descriptions also reinforce a North Carolina focus through graduate enrichment, K-12 STEM enrichment, and mathematics education initiatives tied to the state.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Burroughs Wellcome Fund

    What kinds of programs does Burroughs Wellcome Fund support?

    Its active programs include graduate enrichment for PhD students in North Carolina, K-12 STEM and science education initiatives, climate change and human health seed grants, climate-health excellence centers, career guidance for trainees, and science and mathematics education programs.

    How large are the typical grants?

    The grant-size distribution is very large and tightly clustered: p25 is $34,114,438, median is $34,200,360, and p75 is $35,960,953.

    Does Burroughs Wellcome Fund fund individuals?

    No. The funder is listed as not funding individuals, and the available record points instead to institutional and programmatic grants.

    Where does Burroughs Wellcome Fund give most often?

    Its giving is local and concentrated in North Carolina. The recent grant record shows recipients in Durham and Research Triangle Park, and 100% of the grants in the provided data went to U.S. recipients.

    Which climate and health programs are active?

    The active climate-and-health offerings include Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants and Climate + Health Excellence Centers. A related Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Awards program is marked as sunset.

    Latest 990 Filing

    2025

    Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.

    Recent Grants

    Most recent grants reported to the IRS.

    RecipientLocationAmountYearPurpose
    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENTDURHAM, NC$37,721,5462025SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT
    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENTRESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC$34,200,3602024SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT
    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENTRESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC$34,028,5172023SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    $37,721,546
    DURHAM, NC2025

    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    $34,200,360
    RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC2024

    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    $34,028,517
    RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC2023

    SEE GRANTS PAID ATTACHMENT

    Open Grant Opportunities

    Current and upcoming funding from Burroughs Wellcome Fund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.

    Open nowRolling / open intakeAward: Up to $50K

    Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants (CCHH)

    Climate Change and Human Health

    Who can apply: Faculty, institutions, K-12 education applicants, postdoctoral fellows, and teachers as listed in the program page; quarterly review process.

    Deadline: Rolling application deadline; quarterly review

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    Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.