A fund established at Seattle Foundation to support the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design (IPD) in advancing computer-designed synthetic proteins, including development of vaccines and other solutions to prevent and respond to pandemics.
Ipd Breakthrough Fund centers support on the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, with recent grants directed to the IPD director’s fund, machine-learning tools, laboratory equipment, and de novo protein design. The largest recent award was $3,800,000 in 2025 to University of Washington Foundation in Seattle for that mix of research and capacity-building support, following $2,771,000 in 2024 and $1,180,000 in 2023 for the IPD director’s fund. That pattern shows a sustained commitment to the same research home rather than a broad portfolio of unrelated causes. The fund’s stated purpose is to advance computer-designed synthetic proteins, including work on vaccines and other solutions to prevent and respond to pandemics. Its focus areas include protein design, vaccine development, pandemic preparedness, medical research, and biotechnology. The grant language also points to investment in the technical infrastructure behind the science, especially machine-learning tools for protein engineering, computational biology, and laboratory equipment. In practice, the fund appears to back a specific research institution and the tools, staff capacity, and project support needed to move protein design work forward.
In protein design and biotechnology, the fund supports research at the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design through direct grants for director-level discretion, machine-learning tools, equipment, and de novo protein design. A 2025 grant of $3,800,000 to University of Washington Foundation explicitly covered those research and infrastructure needs. The foundation also ties its giving to biomedical applications, especially vaccines and pandemic response. Its summary says the fund was established to help IPD advance computer-designed synthetic proteins, including development of vaccines and other solutions to prevent and respond to pandemics. Its grant language further emphasizes technology development inside the lab. The listed topic taxonomy includes computational biology/bioinformatics and laboratory infrastructure & equipment, which matches the purpose text attached to the recent grant record.
The typical grant size is large: p25 is $1,577,750, median is $1,975,500, and p75 is $2,373,250. The recent record shows repeated support to the same recipient across 2023, 2024, and 2025, all in Seattle, which suggests a recurring relationship rather than one-off awards. The fund is housed at Seattle Foundation, is not a program for individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Unsolicited applications are not part of this fund’s model.
$3.8M
$19.9M
$9.2M
$3.8M
Most grants fall between $1.6M and $2.4M, with a median of $2M.
25th Percentile
$1.6M
Median
$2M
75th Percentile
$2.4M
STEVE ANDRYSZEWSKI
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Grantmaking is tightly local and entirely in Washington, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The main recipient city in the recent grants is Seattle, where University of Washington Foundation received the fund’s top three awards. The fund’s broader program geography is also Seattle-centered, including King County in several related Seattle Foundation programs.
It supports the University of Washington’s Institute for Protein Design, with a focus on computer-designed synthetic proteins, vaccine development, pandemic preparedness, medical research, and biotechnology.
The typical award is large: p25 is $1,577,750, median is $1,975,500, and p75 is $2,373,250.
The recent grant record names University of Washington Foundation in Seattle as the recipient for the three largest awards, including grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant distribution provided shows 100% of grants going to recipients in Washington, and the recent grants are all to Seattle-based recipients.
No. The fund does not fund individuals, and the listed program model does not accept unsolicited applications.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Ipd Breakthrough Fund that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations operating in Snohomish County are eligible. Preference is given to programs with partnerships, other funding sources and strong community support.
Deadline: Letters of inquiry are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed after each quarter.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $3,800,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT IPD DIRECTOR'S FUND, ML TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND DE NOVO PROTEIN DESIGN AT UW. |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $2,771,000 | 2024 | IPD DIRECTOR'S FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $1,180,000 | 2023 | IPD DIRECTOR'S FUND |
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION
$3,800,000SUPPORT IPD DIRECTOR'S FUND, ML TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, AND DE NOVO PROTEIN DESIGN AT UW.
