Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation
The Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on advancing graduate-level scientific research and training, primarily by funding Ph.D. scholars programs at major research universities and strategic investments in genomics research. Its grants are large, targeted awards to university foundations and research initiatives rather than small community nonprofits, reflecting a focus on building research capacity and supporting doctoral talent in biomedical and life sciences fields.
Focus Areas
Ph.D. scholars programs at major research universities (support for doctoral fellowships and training)Genomics research infrastructure and discovery (strategic funding for initiatives like IGI)Support for public university research campuses within the University of California system and other flagship state research universities
Who They Fund
Ph.D. students and doctoral scholarspostdoctoral researchers / early-career scientistsdisplaced Ukrainian scientists / international displaced researchersacademic life-science research laboratories and principal investigators
About Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation
The Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation’s most distinctive pattern is its repeated, large support for Ph.D. scholars programs at major research universities. In 2025, it awarded $972,439 each to the University of Utah and the University of Colorado Foundation for Ph.D. Scholars Program support, and it also made a $944,116 grant to the University of California San Diego for the same purpose. That focus shows a foundation built around doctoral training rather than broad community grantmaking. Its recent giving also includes major support for the University of Washington and UC Berkeley, with awards structured to underwrite tuition and living expenses for advanced Ph.D. students. Beyond graduate training, the foundation backs genomics research infrastructure through the Innovative Genomics Initiative in Berkeley, reflecting a second line of funding tied to life-science discovery. The recipient list is dominated by universities and university foundations, including public research campuses and flagship state institutions, which aligns with its emphasis on scientific capacity building. The foundation also funds individuals, and its grantmaking is centered on selected institutions rather than open, general-purpose philanthropy.
What Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation Funds
Doctoral education is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s work. It gave $944,116 to the University of Washington for the Ph.D. Fellowship Program and $900,407 to Uc San Francisco Foundation for the Ph.D. Scholars Program, both aimed at advanced graduate training in life sciences. A separate line of support targets genomics infrastructure: the Innovative Genomics Initiative in Berkeley received $625,000 for the IGI-Genomic Discover Toll Fund in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also backs investigator-led science. Stanford University received $250,000 in 2024 for research on a microRNA cluster that controls development of the corticospinal projection, while the Regents of the University of California at Berkeley received $250,000 in 2024 for work on dopaminergic modulation of synaptic plasticity for dynamic spatial learning. These grants show a mix of training, platform-building, and targeted research awards.
How Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation Gives
Typical awards are sizable: the grant-size distribution runs from a 25th percentile of $25,000 to a median of $131,924 and a 75th percentile of $250,000. The recent grant list shows repeat support across multiple years, especially for university Ph.D. programs and genomics-related awards, which points to recurring institutional funding rather than isolated gifts. The foundation’s active programs are organized as competitive university-nominated grants and fellowship programs, with some categories accepting no unsolicited proposals. It also funds individuals through its Ph.D. scholars and fellows programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$12M
Total Assets
$112.9M
Total Revenue
$17.4M
Total Expenses
$13.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $25K and $250K, with a median of $132K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$132K
75th Percentile
$250K
Geographic Reach
Regional14 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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