About Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation concentrates almost exclusively on biomedical and translational research into idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and related interstitial lung diseases, funding university medical centers and academic investigators to study genetic drivers, epithelial cell biology, imaging/diagnostics, and disease-exacerbating mechanisms. A smaller portion of funding supports patient care delivery and education projects—telehealth for rural patients and advance care planning—indicating an interest in both generating new science and improving access to guideline-concordant care. Grantees are predominantly major U.S. research universities and medical schools, with repeat funding to leading pulmonary research groups.
Focus Areas
Genetic and cellular mechanisms of familial and sporadic pulmonary fibrosis (e.g., KIF15, TERT, alveolar epithelial progenitors)Diagnostic imaging and molecular probes for active pulmonary fibrosis (PET probes, nanotechnology targeting proteostasis)Translational studies of IPF exacerbations and environmental/workplace triggers (AHR signaling, workplace exposures, coronavirus-related exacerbations)Telehealth and care-delivery interventions to improve early, guideline-concordant IPF care in rural populationsAdvance care planning and patient education for people living with pulmonary fibrosis
About Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
A repeating pattern in the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s recent grants is its support for research that moves from gene discovery to potential clinical use. In both 2024 and 2025, the foundation gave major awards to Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York for investigation of KIF15 as a novel familial pulmonary fibrosis gene, and to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania for nanotechnology targeting of alveolar epithelial proteostasis in pulmonary fibrosis. Those awards sit alongside other grants to academic medical centers studying epithelial progenitor biology, imaging probes, and exacerbation mechanisms. The result is a grant portfolio centered on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and related interstitial lung diseases, with most funding directed to university-based investigators rather than service providers. The foundation also includes patient-facing work in its portfolio. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine received support for advance care planning education for people living with pulmonary fibrosis, and the University of California San Francisco received funding for a telehealth intervention aimed at early, guideline-concordant care for rural populations. Together, these grants show a funder investing in biomedical research while also backing projects that affect care delivery for patients and families.
What Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Funds
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation funds multiple lines of pulmonary fibrosis research, with each grant tied to a specific scientific question. At the University of Wisconsin-madison, it supported a fibronectin-targeting peptide as a PET-based probe for active pulmonary fibrosis, reflecting interest in molecular imaging and diagnostics. At The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University, it backed work on TERT-expressing alveolar type II cells as unipotent progenitors with expanded proliferative capacities, a direct investment in epithelial cell biology. The foundation also funds disease-mechanism studies. The Regents of the University of Michigan received support for the role of non-canonical AHR signaling in coronavirus exacerbations of pulmonary fibrosis. At University of Chicago, the grant focused on identifying the impact of workplace exposures on quality of life, lung function, and survival across interstitial lung disease. These examples show a portfolio that connects bench research, clinical mechanisms, and exposure-related outcomes.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$600K
Total Assets
$17.5M
Total Revenue
$9.3M
Total Expenses
$7.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $75K and $123K, with a median of $100K.
25th Percentile
$75K
Median
$100K
75th Percentile
$123K
Geographic Reach
National11 states funded
About 5% of grants go to recipients in CA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
SCOTT STASZAK
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