To accelerate the development of new and better treatments and an ultimate cure for leukemia by funding focused research, and to provide patient-centered support and education to people affected by leukemia.
The Leukemia Research Foundation’s most visible pattern is its steady stream of $150,000 New Investigator Research Grants, directed to early-stage investigators working on leukemia research. In the latest grant list, that support reached institutions such as City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. The foundation’s funding is built around investigator-initiated research, with grants aimed at improving understanding of leukemia and accelerating new treatments. Its mission centers on leukemia research across major disease types, including AML, ALL, CML, and CLL, while also extending to myelodysplastic syndromes in its new investigator program. The organization also describes patient-centered support and education as part of its broader purpose, including clinical trial education and participation. Recent awards show a clear emphasis on research capacity building: grants have gone to new independent investigators, junior faculty, and early-career researchers at major medical schools, cancer centers, and hospitals across the United States. The grant record points to a funder that uses project-based support to advance laboratory and clinical work rather than individual aid or program-related investing.
The foundation’s clearest cause area is leukemia research. It awarded $150,000 to The University of Texas MD Anderson for a New Investigator Research Grant, and another $150,000 to Weill Medical College of Cornell University for the same program. Those awards align with its stated goal of funding investigator-initiated projects that deepen understanding of leukemia and support new treatments. A second thread is early-career research support. Grants to Massachusetts General Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis each carried $150,000 New Investigator Research Grants, showing a focus on helping new independent investigators build research programs. The foundation also supports work touching myelodysplastic syndromes through the New Investigator Research Grant Program. Its broader mission includes patient and family support services and clinical trial education, which sit alongside the research portfolio as part of the organization’s stated purpose.
$2M
$10.3M
$6M
$3.2M
Most grants fall between $145K and $150K, with a median of $145K.
25th Percentile
$145K
Median
$145K
75th Percentile
$150K
About 8% of grants go to recipients in CA.
KEVIN RADELET
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Typical grant size is tightly clustered: p25 is $145,340, median is $145,340, and p75 is $150,000. That shows a narrow award band centered on research grants of roughly the same size. The recent record also shows repeat funding to the same institutions across years, including Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Massachusetts General Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, and Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope. The foundation is not an individual-giving funder and does not make program-related investments. Its active research grant programs accept unsolicited applications, and the New Investigator Research Grant Program provides up to $150,000 over a two-year period.
Grantmaking is national, with all listed recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Illinois receives no recent grant dollars in the sample despite Northfield being the headquarters state. By grant count, Massachusetts is the top state for giving, supported by awards to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Charleston, plus other Massachusetts-based recipients. Other frequent locations include New York City, Chicago, Duarte, and Baltimore, reflecting a concentration in major medical-research hubs rather than a single region.
It funds investigator-initiated leukemia research through competitive grant programs. The stated disease areas include AML, ALL, CML, CLL, and MDS. The grant record shows repeated support for new investigator projects aimed at understanding leukemia and improving treatments.
The program supports new independent investigators, with the foundation’s beneficiary types including new investigators, early-career researchers, and junior faculty. Recent awards show grants to researchers at universities, cancer centers, and hospitals across the United States.
Recent awards are clustered around $145,340 to $150,000. The distribution provided shows p25 at $145,340, median at $145,340, and p75 at $150,000. The New Investigator Research Grant Program also notes awards of up to $150,000 over two years.
Yes. The active research grant programs are marked as accepting unsolicited applications, including the Research Grant Programs and the New Investigator Research Grant Program.
By grant count, Massachusetts is the top state for giving. The recent grant list also includes multiple awards in New York, Illinois, California, Pennsylvania, and Texas, showing a national U.S. footprint.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Leukemia Research Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Investigators and institutions conducting leukemia-focused research. Applicants must follow eligibility, guidelines, and application procedures outlined by the Foundation (see application URL for details).
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON | HOUSTON, TX | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | CHARLESTON, MA | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| CITY OF HOPE COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER | DUARTE, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| MILLER SCHOOL OF MEDICINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | CORAL GABLES, FL | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY - CHICAGO CAMPUS RUBLOFF BUILDING 7TH FLOOR | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA - TWIN CITIES | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH CANCER INSTITUTE | PITTSBURGH, PA | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE CITY OF HOPE | DUARTE, CA | $150,000 | 2025 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| EMORY UNIVERSITY | ATLANTA, GA | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| SEATTLE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | SEATTLE, WA | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI HEALTH SYSTEMS | CORAL GABLES, FL | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE JACKSON LABORATORY FOR GENOMIC MEDICINE | FARMINGTON, CT | $150,000 | 2024 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH | PITTSBURGH, PA | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BALTIMORE, MD | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BALTIMORE, MD | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER | CINCINNATI, OH | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE CITY OF HOPE | DUARTE, CA | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN STLOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENN PERELMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO | LA JOLIA, CA | $145,340 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| ICHAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $145,337 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, MN | $145,337 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| BECKMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF THE CITY OF HOPE | DUARTE, CA | $145,337 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $145,333 | 2023 | NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT |
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA - TWIN CITIES
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY
$150,000NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO
$145,340NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$145,333NEW INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH GRANT