To fund and accelerate research to improve early detection, develop effective treatments, and ultimately find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
A hallmark of Marc Lustgarten Pancreatic Cancer Foundation’s recent giving is its concentration on large pancreatic cancer research grants to major academic medical centers and research institutions. The biggest award in the file is $8,784,577 to Johns Hopkins University in 2025, followed by other multi-million-dollar grants to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. That pattern points to a funder working at scale in biomedical research rather than through smaller community grants. The foundation’s stated purpose is to fund and accelerate research to improve early detection, develop effective treatments, and ultimately find a cure for pancreatic cancer. Recent grants also show support for collaborative and translational work, with awards to institutions such as Break Through Cancer and The Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Its portfolio includes programs for clinical acceleration, early-career investigators, lab-based research, and strategic research investments, all tied to pancreatic cancer science. Across the recent grants list, the same institutions recur over multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. Johns Hopkins University appears repeatedly, as do Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the American Association for Cancer Research.
In pancreatic cancer research, the foundation backs a mix of laboratory, translational, and clinical work. It gave $1,390,839 in 2023 and $990,664 in 2024 to the American Association for Cancer Research, both listed for pancreatic cancer research. It also awarded $1,000,000 in 2025 to The Salk Institute for Biological Studies for the same cause. Early detection is part of its stated focus, alongside drug and therapeutic development. The foundation’s grant portfolio includes early detection technologies, personalized and precision medicine, and clinical trials and translational research. Career development is another visible thread. Through the Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Awards for Pancreatic Cancer Research, the foundation supports early-career investigators in pancreatic cancer research, with the program open to the United States and internationally. Collaborative research also appears in the recent grant list, including $6,472,317 in 2023 to Stand Up To Cancer - Entertainment Industry Foundation for pancreatic cancer research.
$17.6M
$91.5M
$37.2M
$27.2M
Most grants fall between $213K and $1.5M, with a median of $631K.
25th Percentile
$213K
Median
$631K
75th Percentile
$1.5M
About 16% of grants go to recipients in MA.
LINDA TANTAWI
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The typical grant size is large: the 25th percentile is $212,500, the median is $630,908, and the 75th percentile is $1,498,816. That spread shows a portfolio built around substantial project and program awards rather than small grants. Recent grants recur across years, especially to the same research institutions and intermediaries, which suggests ongoing funding relationships. The foundation is a regular funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited proposals, including the Robert F. Vizza Clinical Accelerator Initiative and the Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Awards. Other listed programs are more directed or strategic in nature.
Grant recipients are entirely in the United States in the recent grants list. Massachusetts is the top state by grant count, with Boston, Cambridge, and other Massachusetts recipients appearing repeatedly. New York also receives substantial support, including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Columbia University, and Uniondale-based headquarters context in the file. Other recurring cities include Baltimore, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, La Jolla, and New Haven. Sixteen percent of grants go to recipients in New York, the foundation’s headquarters state.
It funds pancreatic cancer research across early detection, drug and therapeutic development, personalized and precision medicine, clinical trials and translational research, and patient resources and support. The stated purpose is to accelerate research that can improve early detection, develop effective treatments, and ultimately find a cure for pancreatic cancer.
The grant-size distribution is substantial: the 25th percentile is $212,500, the median is $630,908, and the 75th percentile is $1,498,816. The recent grant file also includes multiple awards in the millions, indicating a research funder focused on large project and institutional grants.
The recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based, with 50 grants and 100% of recipients in the United States. Some active programs are listed as open to the United States and internationally, but the recent recipient distribution shown in the file is domestic.
Yes. The foundation lists active programs that accept unsolicited applications, including the Robert F. Vizza Clinical Accelerator Initiative and the Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Awards for Pancreatic Cancer Research. Those programs are aimed at translational clinical studies and early-career investigators, respectively.
Yes. Several institutions appear more than once in the recent grants list, including Johns Hopkins University, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the American Association for Cancer Research. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $6,410,909 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY | COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY | $1,937,943 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,593,497 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $1,456,615 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BOSTON, MA | $716,827 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $605,443 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $573,736 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE TRUSTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $500,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CENTER | HOUSTON, TX | $369,998 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| STAND UP TO CANCER - ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $360,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY | MORGANTOWN, WV | $330,642 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTES GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $175,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $150,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM | DETROIT, MI | $106,528 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $58,049 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE | HOUSTON, TX | $55,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | PALO ALTO, CA | $44,000 | 2026 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $8,784,577 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $2,823,857 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY | COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY | $1,987,065 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,915,072 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BOSTON, MA | $1,143,584 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $975,000 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE TRUSTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $845,921 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTES GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $351,000 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $311,183 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $306,287 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $150,000 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | $44,000 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,302 | 2025 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,726,518 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY | COLD SPRING HARBOR, NY | $2,472,272 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE | BOSTON, MA | $2,161,911 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,575,933 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| STAND UP TP CANCER - ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,534,808 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES | LA JOLLA, CA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $990,664 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $773,195 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE | BOSTON, MA | $731,815 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MASSACHUSETTES GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $500,000 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| YALE UNIVERSITY | NEW HAVEN, CT | $444,000 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $400,000 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $361,288 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $118,091 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
| ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2024 | PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH |
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$6,410,909PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY
$1,937,943PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
$1,593,497PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
$1,456,615PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$1,000,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$1,000,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$716,827PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$605,443PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$573,736PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE TRUSTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$500,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MD ANDERSON CENTER
$369,998PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
STAND UP TO CANCER - ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
$360,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
$330,642PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTES GENERAL HOSPITAL
$175,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
$150,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
$150,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
HENRY FORD HEALTH SYSTEM
$106,528PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
YALE UNIVERSITY
$58,049PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE
$55,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$44,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$8,784,577PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
$2,823,857PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY
$1,987,065PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$1,915,072PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$1,143,584PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$1,000,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
$975,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE TRUSTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$845,921PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTES GENERAL HOSPITAL
$500,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
YALE UNIVERSITY
$351,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$311,183PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$306,287PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
$150,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
$44,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$25,302PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
$5,726,518PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY
$2,472,272PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
$2,161,911PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$1,575,933PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
STAND UP TP CANCER - ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION
$1,534,808PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
$1,000,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH
$990,664PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$773,195PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
NYU GROSSMAN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
$731,815PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MASSACHUSETTES GENERAL HOSPITAL
$500,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
YALE UNIVERSITY
$444,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$400,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
DUKE UNIVERSITY
$361,288PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$118,091PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH
ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
$75,000PANCREATIC CANCER RESEARCH