About Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (Us)
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research actively partners with scientists to accelerate research that will transform the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. We fulfill our mission by supporting groundbreaking science carried out by individual investigators, multi-disciplinary teams, and early-stage companies in the United States and across the globe. Recognizing the obstacles that prevent scientific advances from improving patient outcomes, we maintain a nimble, high-impact approach to funding basic and translational cancer research that bridges the gap between bench and bedside through grants and venture investments.
Focus Areas
cancer researchearly detectiondrug discoverybasic and translational scienceclinical researchtechnology and computational innovationaging and cancer
Who They Fund
cancer researchers and laboratory scientistsearly-career scientists and postdoctoral fellowsclinician-scientists and clinical investigators
About Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (Us)
The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (us) Ltd backs cancer research at a scale that includes seven-figure awards to major research institutions. In the recent grants list, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received $3,362,500 in 2024 and $3,006,548 in 2023 for research, while The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York received $2,750,000 in 2025. The portfolio also includes Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of California San Francisco, Stanford University, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins University. The foundation’s work centers on basic and translational cancer science, with support for individual investigators, multi-investigator centers, and collaborative projects that aim to move research toward patient care. Its program structure includes fellowships, centers, ASPIRE awards, drug discovery awards, and partnership grants. The grant list shows repeated support for large research institutions and for projects that sit between laboratory discovery and clinical application. It operates as a regular funder and does not fund individuals directly, but it does fund trainees through fellowship programs. The annual grant total on file is $65,943,062, and the foundation’s latest 990 year is 2025.
What Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (Us) Funds
In translational cancer research, the foundation gave $2,299,837 in 2025 to Regents of the University of California San Francisco for research, and $1,000,000 in 2025 to The Salk Institute for Biological Studies for research. These awards sit alongside a broader portfolio of laboratory-to-clinic work. Drug discovery is another clear theme. The foundation made a $1,000,000 research grant in 2023 to University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and its program list includes a dedicated Drug Discovery Award for advancing new cancer therapeutics. It also supports scientific coordination and field-building. American Association for Cancer Research received $1,312,500 in 2023 for research, and the program menu includes centers, fellowships, and partnerships that support collaborative initiatives across institutions. Aging and cancer appears as a targeted area through a joint RFP and collaborative grant program focused on aging biology, biomarkers, microenvironment and senescence, and genomic instability and metabolism.
How Mark Foundation for Cancer Research (Us) Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$65.9M
Total Assets
$105.5M
Total Revenue
$44.8M
Total Expenses
$36.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $177K and $768K, with a median of $376K.
25th Percentile
$177K
Median
$376K
75th Percentile
$768K
Geographic Reach
National21 states funded
About 26% of grants go to recipients in MA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
RYAN SCHOENFELD
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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