National Academy of Sciences
ActivePublic CharityScience & TechnologyFunds Individuals
About National Academy of Sciences
Driving progress for the benefit of society by providing independent, objective advice to advance science, engineering, and medicine.
Focus Areas
ScienceEngineeringMedicineScience policyPublic engagementInternational scientific collaboration
Who They Fund
individual researchersacademic institutions (universities)research organizations/nonprofit research centers
Funding Style
project-specific research fundingrestricted-purpose grantssingle-purpose award/grantmaking
About National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences put more than $6 million behind Louisiana State University in 2024, and that single grant sits within a broader pattern of large research awards to universities and research organizations. Its recent grants repeatedly support academic science through project-specific awards, with major funding flowing to Texas A&M University, Florida State University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and Tulane University. The foundation’s grantmaking also reaches public-health and policy organizations such as Population Services International, the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and The Urban Institute. This is a public charity with a large asset base and annual grantmaking near $96 million, and its 990 record shows a leadership structure centered on President Marcia McNutt. The available record describes a funder that backs science, engineering, and medicine, while also supporting science policy, public engagement, and international scientific collaboration. One active program, the Science and Innovation Fund for Ukraine, points to an interest in rebuilding science capacity and long-term economic development through Ukrainian science and technology.
What National Academy of Sciences Funds
In higher-education research, the National Academy of Sciences gave $5,151,595 to Louisiana State University in 2025 for research grants, and $3,492,734 to Texas A&M University in 2024 for a research grant. It also backed Florida State University twice in the recent list, including $2,211,601 in 2025 and $2,300,970 in 2024, showing sustained support for university-based projects. The foundation also funds marine and environmental research. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution received $2,713,897 in 2023, $1,617,784 in 2024, and $1,487,978 in 2025 for research grants or research grant support. In public-health and policy-oriented work, the foundation awarded $1,438,468 to Population Services International in 2023 and $804,746 to The Urban Institute in 2023. Its active Science and Innovation Fund for Ukraine adds an international science-building dimension focused on workshops, bilateral and multilateral initiatives, and science and technology capacity building.
How National Academy of Sciences Gives
Typical awards cluster in the six-figure range, with a p25 of $47,500, a median of $108,489, and a p75 of $300,000. The recent list also shows repeated multi-year support to the same institutions, including Louisiana State University, Texas A&M University, Florida State University, Tulane University, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. That pattern suggests continuing project-based relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a public charity and a regular DAF funder, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. Its grants are described as restricted-purpose and single-purpose awards.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$32.1M
Total Assets
$1.6B
Total Revenue
$361.7M
Total Expenses
$378.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $48K and $300K, with a median of $108K.
25th Percentile
$48K
Median
$108K
75th Percentile
$300K
Geographic Reach
Regional32 states funded
About 3% of grants go to recipients in VA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MARCIA MCNUTT
PRESIDENT
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