About Cornell University
Cornell is a private, Ivy League university and the land-grant university for New York state. Cornell’s mission is to discover, preserve and disseminate knowledge, to educate the next generation of global citizens, and to promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of students, the people of New York and others around the world.
Focus Areas
Higher educationResearch (science, engineering, social sciences, health)Public engagement and community developmentAgriculture and food systemsSustainability and environmentDiversity, equity and inclusionTechnology and innovationHealth and medicine
Who They Fund
university/college researchers and facultyresearch laboratories and teamsgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers
About Cornell University
Cornell University’s recent grantmaking is anchored by large research awards to major universities and medical research institutions, including $6,233,651 to Sloan Kettering Institute in 2025 and $4,125,905 to John Hopkins University in 2025. The pattern points to investigator-driven support for research across science, medicine, and engineering, with Cornell University funding projects at both standalone institutes and broad research universities. Recent awards also include $3,801,259 to Columbia University, $3,701,291 to Rutgers The State University of NJ, and $3,374,848 to Memorial Sloan Kettering, showing repeated support for high-capacity research organizations. Across the list, the foundation appears to favor institutional grants rather than individuals, and the recipients range from cancer research centers to public universities and private research universities. The grant record also includes awards for discipline-specific work such as mechanical engineering, physics, and agricultural sciences, indicating a portfolio that spans both applied and basic research. Cornell University’s public mission as a land-grant institution aligns with this emphasis on knowledge production and dissemination through academic and medical research partners.
What Cornell University Funds
Research is the clearest thread in Cornell University’s giving. It backed The Regents Univ California San Francisco with $2,660,439 in 2025 for Research-Mechanical Engineering and another $2,022,755 in 2024 for the same purpose, showing repeat support for that technical field. In agricultural sciences, Duke University received $2,120,569 in 2025 for Research-Agricultural Sciences, connecting the portfolio to applied work in food and land systems. Physics also appears as a named field: the University of Notre Dame du Lac received $1,974,321 in 2025 for Research-Physics. Biomedical work is present as well, with Rockefeller University receiving $1,933,277 in 2024 for Research-Biological & Biomedical Sciences. These grants show a mix of disciplinary science, engineering, and health-related research.
How Cornell University Gives
Cornell University’s typical grant size sits at a p25 of $24,372, a median of $88,049, and a p75 of $340,189, but the recent-grant list also shows many multimillion-dollar awards. The funder is a regular funder rather than a DAF, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. The grant record suggests repeat relationships: Rutgers appears in multiple years, as does Memorial Sloan Kettering, and several other institutions reappear across the list. That pattern fits a project-based, institutional research funder with recurring support for selected recipients.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$120.8M
Total Assets
$18.6B
Total Revenue
$6.6B
Total Expenses
$6.4B
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $24K and $340K, with a median of $88K.
25th Percentile
$24K
Median
$88K
75th Percentile
$340K
Geographic Reach
National52 states funded
About 26% of grants go to recipients in TX.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
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