The Denise A. & Eugene Chinery Foundation concentrates giving on neuroscience and neurodevelopment research at elite universities, seeding named funds and laboratories at institutions like Harvard, MIT, Vassar and Rockefeller. It also supports community disability services (e.g., Spectrum for Living), suggesting an interest in applied supports for neurodiverse populations in addition to basic research. Grants are large and targeted, often delivered as repeat gifts to the same institutions to establish or sustain named research programs.
The largest recent gift in the record is a $1.4 million grant to Harvard University for the Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Research Scholar Fund, a clear signal that the foundation uses large, targeted awards to build named research capacity. DENISE A& EUGENE CHINERY FOUNDATION c/o Jayne Kurzman Esq. gives across neuroscience, neurodevelopment research, and support for people with developmental disabilities, with a pattern that combines university-based science and community services. In 2025, it backed Harvard, MIT, The Rockefeller University, and Vassar College with substantial grants tied to research scholars, postdoctoral fellowship support, and neuroscience laboratory funds. Those awards point to a funder that favors endowment-style support and institutional capacity rather than broad, open-ended giving. The same year, it also made a $250,000 grant to Spectrum for Living, alongside smaller prior contributions to that organization, showing that applied disability services sit alongside its academic research interests. Across the recent record, the foundation’s grants are purpose-specific and closely tied to named funds, faculty support, and laboratory infrastructure.
Neurodevelopment and neuroscience research are central to the foundation’s giving. It awarded $1 million to Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Fund for Neurodevelopment Research, and $600,000 plus $500,000 to Vassar College for the Chinery Foundation for Neuroscience Laboratory. The 2025 record also includes $420,000 and $100,000 to Harvard University for the Research Support Fund u-d Paola Arlotta, linking its support to a specific neuroscience researcher and program. Another strand is postdoctoral training: The Rockefeller University received $1.15 million for the Charisse Chinery Postdoctoral Fellowship and Charisse Chinery Postdoctoral Fellowship Endowment Fund. Beyond university research, the foundation gave $250,000 to Spectrum for Living for charitable contribution, reflecting support for a community organization serving people with developmental disabilities.
Typical awards cluster tightly around the $20,000 range, with a p25 of $17,500, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $22,500. The recent record also shows much larger capital-style grants, including seven-figure awards for named research funds and fellowships. Grantmaking appears recurring rather than one-off: Harvard University, The Rockefeller University, Vassar College, and Spectrum for Living each appear more than once in the recent list, and Spectrum for Living received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation funds individuals as well as institutions, and it makes no program-related investments.
$5.8M
$2.1M
$2.6M
$5.9M
Most grants fall between $18K and $23K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$23K
About 36% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Concentrated, high-value grants (many in the $6-7-figure range) with repeat multi-grant relationships to a small set of elite research institutions and a few community nonprofits; funding tends to establish or sustain named funds/labs rather than one-off small awards.
Notable grantees: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Rockefeller University, Vassar College, Spectrum for Living
Grant recipients are all in the United States, with New Jersey the top state by grant count. Recent awards land mainly in Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Poughkeepsie, NY; and River Vale, NJ. The New York and New Jersey concentration is visible in the repeat gifts to The Rockefeller University in New York City and Spectrum for Living in River Vale, while Massachusetts recipients include Harvard University and MIT in Cambridge.
Its recent grants focus on neuroscience and neurodevelopment research, including named scholar funds, postdoctoral fellowships, and laboratory support at universities. It also supports community-based services for people with developmental disabilities, including Spectrum for Living.
Yes. Harvard University, The Rockefeller University, Vassar College, and Spectrum for Living each appear more than once in the recent grants list. Spectrum for Living received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The distribution centers near $20,000: p25 is $17,500, median is $20,000, and p75 is $22,500. The recent file also includes much larger awards, including $1.4 million, $1.15 million, and $1 million grants.
New Jersey is the top state by grant count. Recent grants also go to recipients in Cambridge, MA; New York, NY; Poughkeepsie, NY; and River Vale, NJ, with all listed grants landing in the United States.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvard University | Cambridge, MA | $1,400,000 | 2025 | Faculty of Arts & Sciences for the Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Research Scholar Fund |
| The Rockefeller University | New York, NY | $1,150,000 | 2025 | Charisse Chinery Postdoctoral Fellowship, Charisse Chinery Postdoctoral Fellowship Endowment Fund |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Fund for Neurodevelopment Research |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY | $600,000 | 2025 | Chinery Foundation for Neuroscience Laboratory |
| Vassar College | Poughkeepsie, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | Chinery Foundation for Neuroscience Laboratory |
| Harvard University | Cambridge, MA | $420,000 | 2025 | Faculty of Arts & Sciences for the Research Support Fund u-d Paola Arlotta |
| The Rockefeller University | New York, NY | $330,489 | 2025 | Charitable Contribution |
| Spectrum for Living | River Vale, NJ | $250,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION |
| Harvard University | Cambrdige, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | Faculty of Arts & Sciences for the Research Support Fund u-d Paola Arlotta |
| Spectrum for Living | River Vale, NJ | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION |
| Spectrum for Living | River Vale, NJ | $15,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION |
Harvard University
$1,400,000Faculty of Arts & Sciences for the Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Research Scholar Fund
Charisse Chinery Postdoctoral Fellowship, Charisse Chinery Postdoctoral Fellowship Endowment Fund
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
$1,000,000Denise A. and Eugene W. Chinery Fund for Neurodevelopment Research
Chinery Foundation for Neuroscience Laboratory
Harvard University
$420,000Faculty of Arts & Sciences for the Research Support Fund u-d Paola Arlotta
Spectrum for Living
$250,000CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION
Harvard University
$100,000Faculty of Arts & Sciences for the Research Support Fund u-d Paola Arlotta