About J Craig Venter Institute
JCVI is advancing the science of genomics through bold innovations. Our mission is to understand more about the biological world, and to develop unique insights and answers about disease, health, and the environment for the benefit of all.
Focus Areas
GenomicsSynthetic biologyHuman health / genomic medicineInfectious disease researchMicrobiome researchEnvironmental sustainabilityBioeconomy / plastic upcyclingBiosecurity and policy
Who They Fund
researchersacademic institutionsresearch project teams
Funding Style
About J Craig Venter Institute
J Craig Venter Institute uses research subgrants to move genomics, synthetic biology, and related biomedical questions into university and hospital laboratories. In the recent grants list, the largest award goes to the University of California San Diego at $687,776 in 2023, followed by $628,139 in 2024, showing repeated support for the same research partner. Other large awards go to Case Western Reserve University, including $409,716 in 2024 and $350,485 in 2025, alongside additional subgrants in earlier years. The pattern points to project-specific funding for research teams rather than individual awards or program-related investments. The institute’s grantmaking also reaches health, environment, and bioeconomy research. Its recipients include academic medical centers, public universities, and science-oriented institutions, with grants often sized in the six-figure range. The portfolio includes work connected to genomic medicine, infectious disease research, microbiome research, environmental sustainability, bioeconomy, plastic upcycling, and biosecurity and policy. Across the recent grants shown here, the funder is supporting scientific projects through restricted subgrants to established research institutions and affiliated foundations.
What J Craig Venter Institute Funds
A clear thread in the recent awards is genomics and genomic medicine. For example, J Craig Venter Institute gave $354,924 in 2025 to Emory University for a research subgrant, and it also supported University of Maryland with $200,549 in 2024 and $70,249 in 2025. Health-related research appears in multiple grants to medical institutions. Rhode Island Hospital received $303,650 in 2023, $256,018 in 2024, and $78,596 in 2025, all listed as research subgrants. Vanderbilt University also appears twice, with $302,028 in 2024 and $289,736 in 2023. The institute also backs environmental and bioeconomy-related science. Global Algae Innovations received $275,801 in 2023, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory received $105,000 in 2023. Those awards fit the foundation’s stated interest in environmental sustainability, bioeconomy, and biosecurity-related research.
How J Craig Venter Institute Gives
Typical awards are mid-sized research subgrants: the 25th percentile is $37,785, the median is $118,748, and the 75th percentile is $270,855. The recent record shows repeated grants to the same institutions across multiple years, including University of California San Diego, Case Western Reserve University, Rhode Island Hospital, Vanderbilt University, Duke University, Northwestern University, Colorado State University, and University of Maryland. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing project support rather than one-off gifts. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its support is restricted and project-specific, delivered through subgrants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.5M
Total Assets
$39.5M
Total Revenue
$14.4M
Total Expenses
$19.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $38K and $271K, with a median of $119K.
25th Percentile
$38K
Median
$119K
75th Percentile
$271K
Geographic Reach
National15 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JOHN CRAIG VENTER
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