The Milky Way Research Foundation is a biomedical research funder that concentrates large investigator-style awards to elite universities and specialized research institutes. Its grants overwhelmingly support investigator-initiated biomedical and life-sciences research—with a discernible interest in genomics, epigenetics, aging biology, and translational work at academic medical centers. Funding is concentrated to a small number of repeat recipients domestically, with occasional international partners. The foundation prefers sizable, institution-level research grants rather than small community or service-oriented awards.
Milky Way Research Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by investigator awards at major biomedical centers, with individual grants routinely around $1.1 million and repeated support to the same research hosts across multiple years. The foundation backs biomedical and life-sciences research rather than service delivery, and its grants show a clear preference for large, institution-based awards tied to named investigators. Among the most visible recipients is Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, which appears several times in the recent grants list with awards ranging from $1,131,450 to $1,150,000. Boston Children’s Hospital also received multiple investigator awards, including $1,160,790 in 2025 and $1,146,707 in 2024, while Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine received awards of $1,149,399 and $1,145,949. The pattern points to support for research housed inside major academic medical centers and specialized institutes. Its topic profile includes genomics, epigenetics, aging biology, and translational biomedical research, with international grants appearing alongside a much larger U.S. base. The foundation funds researchers at universities, hospitals, and specialized institutes through project-based, competitive awards.
In genomics, Milky Way Research Foundation gave $1,149,976 to Broad Institute for investigator award research and $1,005,990 to Wellcome Sanger Institute for the same grant type. These awards align with support for large-scale genomic research at specialized institutes. In epigenetics and aging biology, the foundation awarded $1,000,000 to Epigenetic Clock Foundation in 2023 and again in 2024 under medical research. That repeat support signals a sustained interest in aging-related biological work. The foundation also backs translational medical research at academic hospitals. Boston Children’s Hospital received $1,160,790 in 2025 for an investigator award research grant, and Massachusetts General Hospital received $1,133,740 in 2025 for the same purpose. University of Rochester, Baylor College of Medicine, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine also appear as recipient institutions in the recent grants list.
Typical grants are large: the p25 is $571,236, the median is $575,000, and the p75 is $1,132,595. The recent grants list shows a strong repeat-recipient pattern, with Stanford, Boston Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Columbia University all appearing more than once. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals, but the grant records point to institution-hosted investigator awards rather than open, small-scale awards. The grant titles are project-based and competitive in tone, centered on investigator award research grants.
$7.9M
$198K
$3M
$8M
Most grants fall between $571K and $1.1M, with a median of $575K.
25th Percentile
$571K
Median
$575K
75th Percentile
$1.1M
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Top 4 recipient countries by grant volume for Milky Way Research Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 78 | $62.7M | 63.9% |
| 2 | United Kingdom |
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Concentrated, large-dollar grants to a small set of elite research institutions with multiple repeat awards; primarily supports investigator-driven scientific research rather than broad philanthropic programs or many small grantees.
Notable grantees: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Broad Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Epigenetic Clock Foundation
Grantmaking is national, and the largest share of recipients is in New York. Recent U.S. recipients include Boston, Cambridge, Bronx, Dallas, Houston, La Jolla, Baltimore, Redwood City, and New York. Outside the U.S., the recent list includes Lausanne in Switzerland, Hinxton in the UK, and additional recipients in Spain and Switzerland reflected in the country distribution. The foundation gives nothing to recipients in Washington, DC, despite its headquarters there.
Its recent grants focus on biomedical and life-sciences research, especially investigator-led work. Named areas in the data include genomics, epigenetics, aging biology, and translational research at academic medical centers and specialized institutes.
Several recipients recur across multiple years: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, Boston Children’s Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and The Trustees of Columbia University all appear more than once.
Typical awards are substantial. The grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $571,236, a median of $575,000, and a p75 of $1,132,595, with many recent awards clustered around $1.1 million.
No. Most grants go to U.S. recipients, but the recent list also includes University of Lausanne in Switzerland and Wellcome Sanger Institute in the UK. The country distribution also shows grants outside the U.S. in Spain and Switzerland.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 23 |
| $12.6M |
18.9% |
| 3 | Spain | 11 | $6.5M | 9.0% |
| 4 | Switzerland | 10 | $8M | 8.2% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,150,000 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,150,000 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,150,000 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $1,150,000 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $1,125,025 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| HARVARD MEDICAL CENTER | BOSTON, MA | $1,066,570 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $640,598 | 2026 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $466,881 | 2026 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $1,160,790 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,150,000 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | BRONX, NY | $1,150,000 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $1,150,000 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,150,000 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,150,000 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER | DALLAS, TX | $1,150,000 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,149,449 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,149,399 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,140,448 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $1,133,740 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | HINXTON | $1,005,990 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $948,750 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $536,121 | 2025 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL | BOSTON, MA | $512,499 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $460,787 | 2025 | RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE | CAMBRIDGE | $301,508 | 2025 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,150,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $1,150,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | BRONX, NY | $1,150,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $1,150,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,150,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER | DALLAS, TX | $1,150,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BROAD INSTITUTE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,149,976 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $1,146,707 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BALTIMORE, MD | $1,145,949 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,143,295 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $1,131,450 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE | LAUSANNE | $1,129,435 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| EPIGENETIC CLOCK FOUNDATION | TORRANCE, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE | HINXTON | $998,905 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $948,750 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $575,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $575,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $575,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER | ROCHESTER, NY | $575,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $575,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $575,000 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE RECERCA BIOMEDICA | BARCELONA | $574,822 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF POMPEU FABRA | BARCELONA | $574,106 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BROAD INSTITUTE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $572,154 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | REDWOOD CITY, CA | $571,744 | 2024 | INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT |
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$1,125,025INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
HARVARD MEDICAL CENTER
$1,066,570INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$466,881RESEARCH GRANT
BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$1,160,790INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$1,133,740INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE
$1,005,990INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$536,121RESEARCH GRANT
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL
$512,499INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$460,787RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
$301,508INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
$1,150,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$1,146,707INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE
$1,129,435INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
EPIGENETIC CLOCK FOUNDATION
$1,000,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
WELLCOME SANGER INSTITUTE
$998,905INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
$575,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$575,000INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
FUNDACIO INSTITUT DE RECERCA BIOMEDICA
$574,822INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF POMPEU FABRA
$574,106INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT
INVESTIGATOR AWARD RESEARCH GRANT