The Falk Medical Research Trust concentrates on funding translational biomedical research at leading academic medical centers and hospitals, prioritizing projects that address high-burden neurological and oncologic conditions and technologies with clear clinical application. Grants are project-specific and sizeable, aimed at advancing therapies, diagnostics, or devices (e.g., cancer vaccines, glioblastoma treatments, Parkinson’s research, chronic pain studies, and predictive medical devices). The foundation funds prominent research institutions across the U.S. rather than community groups or grassroots programs.
A repeated pattern stands out in Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Tr’s recent giving: multi-hundred-thousand-dollar project grants to academic medical centers for translational work with clinical endpoints. The foundation backs research that moves from bench to bedside, especially in cancer, neurology, infectious disease, and device development. Several recent awards show that approach clearly: Yale University School of Medicine received funding to develop cancer vaccines, Cleveland Clinic Foundation received support for glioblastoma treatments, and Medical College of Wisconsin was funded for chronic pain research. The grant list points to a portfolio built around specific therapeutic questions rather than broad institutional support. Awards also extend to emerging modalities such as immunotherapy, PROTACs, biomarkers, and predictive diagnostics, suggesting an interest in interventions that can be tested in human-relevant settings. Recipients are major universities, medical schools, and hospitals, which fits a funder that appears to prioritize research infrastructure capable of running advanced studies. The foundation’s recent activity includes repeat support for the same research directions over multiple years, with separate grants going to the same institutions on related topics.
In oncology, the trust has backed multiple lines of work. Yale University School of Medicine received a grant to develop cancer vaccines, while Thomas Jefferson University was funded for PROTACs targeting BRCA-related cancer. Cleveland Clinic Foundation also received support tied to glioblastoma treatment work. Neurological and pain-related research is another visible area. Medical College of Wisconsin received grants for chronic pain research and later for pain therapy involving sensory pathways. Childrens Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati was funded for Parkinson’s research, and Case Western Reserve University received support for B cell cancer therapy using immunotherapy. The portfolio also reaches into infectious disease and diagnostics. Brown University of Providence was funded twice for anti-malaria drugs targeting the same line of work, and Board Regents of University of Wisconsin received support to improve diagnosis of breast cancer.
The foundation’s recent grants cluster in the mid-six-figure range, with a typical grant size of $146,832 at the 25th percentile, $176,215 at the median, and $200,342 at the 75th percentile. That distribution sits below some of the larger project awards in the recent list, which suggests a core pattern of sizeable but targeted research funding. Its grantmaking shows repetition across years and institutions. Brown University of Providence appears in both 2024 and 2025 with related anti-malaria work, and Thomas Jefferson University received the same BRCA-focused project grant in 2024 and 2025, alongside another 2025 award. The trust funds organizations, not individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The available data does not indicate an application process.
$8.3M
$145.5M
$9M
$9.9M
Most grants fall between $147K and $200K, with a median of $176K.
25th Percentile
$147K
Median
$176K
75th Percentile
$200K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in IL.
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Concentrated, large project-based grants to a small number of elite research institutions; few grants overall, no evidence of repeated multi-year unrestricted support to the same organizations; emphasis on investigator-led, translational projects with clear therapeutic or device outcomes.
Notable grantees: Medical College of Wisconsin, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Yale University School of Medicine, Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Cincinnati), Regents of the University of Michigan
Grantmaking is national, with all listed recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Illinois is the top state by grant count, and the recent list includes Northwestern University in Evanston as one Illinois recipient. Other frequent recipient cities include Cleveland, Milwaukee, New Haven, Philadelphia, and Providence. The foundation gives nothing to recipients in Texas, despite its Dallas headquarters, which underscores that its geographic footprint is determined by research institutions rather than location near home.
The trust funds translational biomedical research at academic medical centers and hospitals. Recent grants include work on cancer vaccines, glioblastoma treatments, chronic pain, Parkinson’s research, anti-malaria drugs, biomarkers, PROTACs, and predictive medical devices.
No. The foundation funds organizations such as universities, medical schools, clinics, and hospitals rather than individuals.
Typical recent grants are in the mid-six-figure range: $146,832 at the 25th percentile, $176,215 at the median, and $200,342 at the 75th percentile.
Illinois is the top state by grant count among recipients, followed by other major research centers in Ohio, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.
Yes. The recent record shows repeated support for oncology, neurology and pain research, infectious disease therapeutics, and predictive diagnostics. The same institutions also appear more than once, including Brown University of Providence, Thomas Jefferson University, and Medical College of Wisconsin.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI | CLEVELAND, OH | $497,018 | 2025 | INHIBITORS TARGETING PEANUT |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY OF PROVIDENCE | PROVIDENCE, RI | $495,146 | 2025 | ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS TARGETNG |
| MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $377,004 | 2025 | NEW DRUGS TO TREAT |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $355,809 | 2025 | IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR B CELL |
| YALE UNIVERSITY - SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | NEW HAVEN, CT | $348,252 | 2025 | MAKING CANCER CELLS LOOK |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $343,159 | 2025 | B CELL CANCER THERAPY USING |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $340,879 | 2025 | PIM2 MODULATOR-MULTIPLE |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $336,255 | 2025 | DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DRUG FOR |
| MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $334,583 | 2025 | PAIN THERAPY - SENSORY |
| THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $333,333 | 2025 | PROTACS FOR TARGETING BRCA |
| THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $333,333 | 2025 | PROTACS FOR TARGETING BRCA |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $331,873 | 2025 | DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DRUG FOR |
| BOARD REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $330,487 | 2025 | IMPROVE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST |
| MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $318,948 | 2025 | DEVELOPMENT OF SENSORY |
| MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN | MILWAUKEE, WI | $315,981 | 2025 | NEW DRUGS TO TREAT |
| UNIVERSITYOF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $308,897 | 2025 | T3 THERAPY - HEART FAILURE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $284,681 | 2025 | OPTIMIZED MECHANISM BASED |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $268,735 | 2025 | METASTIC LUNG CANCER PHASE |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $257,044 | 2025 | ADVANCING MICRO RNAS AS |
| UNIVERSITYOF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $235,086 | 2025 | THYROID HORMONE |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $210,398 | 2025 | THERAPY FOR CHRONIC KIDNEY |
| UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | IOWA CITY, IA | $208,319 | 2025 | VASCULAR HEALTH TARGETING |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $203,837 | 2025 | SYSTEMIC BACTEREMIA - HOST |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $200,685 | 2025 | TUMOR ANUEPLOIDY - |
| OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $197,879 | 2025 | DEVELOP NEW THERAPY FOR |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $190,000 | 2025 | NEW WEAPONS TO FIGHT |
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER | CINCINNATI, OH | $190,000 | 2025 | LUPUS NEPHRITIS BIOMARKERS |
| YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | NEW HAVEN, CT | $190,000 | 2025 | TARGETED DEGREDATION OF |
| REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $190,000 | 2025 | DEVICE TO PREDICT |
| STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA | IOWA CITY, IA | $187,210 | 2025 | IMPROVE HYPOXIC TUMOR MGMT |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $186,955 | 2025 | TREATMENT OF COMPLEX |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $181,905 | 2025 | IN VIVO GENERATION OF CAR T |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $179,775 | 2025 | TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY |
| OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $178,604 | 2025 | MELANOMA ONSET & RECURRENCE |
| REHABILITATION INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $177,796 | 2025 | REPURPOSE 5-AZACYTIDINE - |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $177,271 | 2025 | NOVEL MINIMALLY INVASIVE |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $176,327 | 2025 | DEVELOP IL-15 - MALARIA |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $176,215 | 2025 | METABOLIC PAUSING - ORGAN |
| SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITY LAB | CHICAGO, IL | $175,864 | 2025 | RESTORE DIAPHRAGM - NERVE |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $175,575 | 2025 | CD-19 TARGETED CAR-MSC19 IN |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $175,216 | 2025 | ZIKA VIRUS GENETIC ARMING- |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $175,000 | 2025 | DEVELOP NEW ODC INHIBITORS |
| UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $175,000 | 2025 | DEVELOPMENT OF SYNGAP1 |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $175,000 | 2025 | BLOCKING PEPTIDE TREATMENT |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $175,000 | 2025 | STEM CELL DERIVED ISLETS |
| REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $175,000 | 2025 | ANTIBODY CNS DELIVERY AND |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY OF PROVIDENCE | PROVIDENCE, RI | $175,000 | 2025 | REPURPOSING CLOPIDOGREL TO |
| CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $175,000 | 2025 | PHARMA STRATEGY TO TREAT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI | CLEVELAND, OH | $175,000 | 2025 | DEVELOP IMPROVED METHOD OF |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $175,000 | 2025 | DEVELOP NEW ODC INHIBITORS |
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
$497,018INHIBITORS TARGETING PEANUT
BROWN UNIVERSITY OF PROVIDENCE
$495,146ANTI-MALARIA DRUGS TARGETNG
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
$377,004NEW DRUGS TO TREAT
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$355,809IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR B CELL
YALE UNIVERSITY - SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$348,252MAKING CANCER CELLS LOOK
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$343,159B CELL CANCER THERAPY USING
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$340,879PIM2 MODULATOR-MULTIPLE
CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
$336,255DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DRUG FOR
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
$334,583PAIN THERAPY - SENSORY
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
$333,333PROTACS FOR TARGETING BRCA
THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY
$333,333PROTACS FOR TARGETING BRCA
CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
$331,873DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DRUG FOR
BOARD REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
$330,487IMPROVE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
$318,948DEVELOPMENT OF SENSORY
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN
$315,981NEW DRUGS TO TREAT
UNIVERSITYOF MINNESOTA
$308,897T3 THERAPY - HEART FAILURE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$284,681OPTIMIZED MECHANISM BASED
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
$268,735METASTIC LUNG CANCER PHASE
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$257,044ADVANCING MICRO RNAS AS
UNIVERSITYOF MINNESOTA
$235,086THYROID HORMONE
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
$210,398THERAPY FOR CHRONIC KIDNEY
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
$208,319VASCULAR HEALTH TARGETING
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$203,837SYSTEMIC BACTEREMIA - HOST
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
$200,685TUMOR ANUEPLOIDY -
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$197,879DEVELOP NEW THERAPY FOR
CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
$190,000NEW WEAPONS TO FIGHT
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER
$190,000LUPUS NEPHRITIS BIOMARKERS
YALE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$190,000TARGETED DEGREDATION OF
REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$190,000DEVICE TO PREDICT
STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
$187,210IMPROVE HYPOXIC TUMOR MGMT
CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
$186,955TREATMENT OF COMPLEX
MAYO CLINIC
$181,905IN VIVO GENERATION OF CAR T
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$179,775TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$178,604MELANOMA ONSET & RECURRENCE
REHABILITATION INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
$177,796REPURPOSE 5-AZACYTIDINE -
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$177,271NOVEL MINIMALLY INVASIVE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$176,327DEVELOP IL-15 - MALARIA
STANFORD UNIVERSITY
$176,215METABOLIC PAUSING - ORGAN
SHIRLEY RYAN ABILITY LAB
$175,864RESTORE DIAPHRAGM - NERVE
MAYO CLINIC
$175,575CD-19 TARGETED CAR-MSC19 IN
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$175,216ZIKA VIRUS GENETIC ARMING-
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$175,000DEVELOP NEW ODC INHIBITORS
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
$175,000DEVELOPMENT OF SYNGAP1
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$175,000BLOCKING PEPTIDE TREATMENT
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
$175,000STEM CELL DERIVED ISLETS
REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$175,000ANTIBODY CNS DELIVERY AND
BROWN UNIVERSITY OF PROVIDENCE
$175,000REPURPOSING CLOPIDOGREL TO
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
$175,000PHARMA STRATEGY TO TREAT
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
$175,000DEVELOP IMPROVED METHOD OF
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$175,000DEVELOP NEW ODC INHIBITORS