About Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is dedicated to scientific discovery – exploring fundamental biology, understanding biodiversity and the environment, and informing the human condition through research and education.
Focus Areas
cell biologyregenerative biologyneurosciencesensory physiologycomparative evolution and genomicsmicrobiomes and microbial ecologyimaging and computationecosystems and environmental sciencemarine organisms and resourcesresearch-based education and training
Who They Fund
research scientistsbiomedical researchers
About Marine Biological Laboratory
Marine Biological Laboratory’s grantmaking is built around research and training in biology, neuroscience, environmental science, and related fields, with fellowships that bring scientists to Woods Hole for collaborative or independent work. Among its active programs, the Whitman Center Fellowships support researchers who come to the MBL to work on site, including applicants from any country, and the Grass Foundation Fellowships support research activity at the MBL tied to courses and centers. The foundation’s recent grants show a strong emphasis on university-based research, with repeat support to Yale University and the University of Chicago, alongside awards to institutions such as University of Georgia Research Foundation, University of Texas at Dallas, Northeastern University, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Its stated scope includes cell biology, regenerative biology, neuroscience, sensory physiology, comparative evolution and genomics, microbiomes and microbial ecology, imaging and computation, ecosystems and environmental science, marine organisms and resources, and research-based education and training. The pattern is less about one program area alone than about sustaining research capacity across biological and environmental science systems, with grants reaching both academic institutions and research organizations.
What Marine Biological Laboratory Funds
In biological research, the foundation supports university and institute-based projects across several disciplines. Recent examples include $307,980 to University of Georgia Research Foundation for research and $226,536 to University of Texas at Dallas for research. Neuroscience also appears through the Grass Foundation Fellowships, which are listed under MBL Funding Opportunities to support research activity at the MBL and are tied to neurobiology and neural systems. Environmental science is part of the portfolio as well: the Whitman Center Fellowships support scientists coming to MBL for research in biological research, environmental science, research organism development, imaging and computation. The foundation also funds marine and ecosystem work, reflected in awards to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and related research institutions in the recent grants list.
How Marine Biological Laboratory Gives
The typical grant size sits at a p25 of $35,046, median of $64,526, and p75 of $98,840. Recent awards above that range show larger research grants, while many others cluster around the middle. The recent list includes repeat recipients across multiple years, indicating ongoing support rather than one-time awards; Yale University and the University of Chicago each appear several times. MBL is a private operating foundation with annual grants of $7,886,555 and does not fund individuals. Its active fellowship programs include both unsolicited and non-unsolicited pathways: the MBL–University of Chicago Graduate Research Fellowship Program accepts unsolicited applications, while the Whitman Center Fellowships and Grass Foundation Fellowships do not.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3M
Total Assets
$246.5M
Total Revenue
$55.4M
Total Expenses
$56.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $35K and $99K, with a median of $65K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$65K
75th Percentile
$99K
Geographic Reach
National20 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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