Life Sciences Research Foundation
The Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF) is a nonprofit philanthropic organization based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1981, LSRF operates as a public charity dedicated to supporting postdoctoral research in the life sciences. The organization functions as a fundraising vehicle that identifies exceptional early-career scientists and then solicits support from individuals, companies, and foundations to fund their research.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.5M
-12.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.5M
-8.5% YoY
Grant Count
25
-3.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$101K
-4.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
LSRF's mission is to fund basic research in the biological sciences at various institutions through postdoctoral fellowships awarded to qualifying scientists selected by the foundation's peer review committee.
The organization believes that discoveries and applications of innovations in biology for the public good depend upon the training and support of the highest quality young scientists. LSRF focuses exclusively on postdoctoral fellowship support across all areas of the life sciences.
Grantmaking
LSRF operates a competitive three-year postdoctoral fellowship award program. The foundation's 34-member peer review committee selects approximately 50 finalists annually from an international pool of nearly 900 postdoctoral applicants, representing the top 5% of applicants.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
LSRF's award program is open to applicants internationally in all areas of life sciences. Recent grant-making activity shows focus in California, Texas, and Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $3,455,244
Annual Giving: $2,531,500
Revenue: The organization has an annual revenue of $5.5 million
Funding Model: LSRF does not have an endowment or existing pool of funds. The organization must raise funds each year to support its selected finalists.
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since April 1984 (EIN: 52-1231801)
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,455,244 | $3,955,635 | $3,558,416 |
| Revenue | $2,812,183 | $3,870,218 | $3,574,286 |
| Expenses | $2,918,392 | $3,108,065 | $3,522,486 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $191,495 | $148,599 | $53,156 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
138 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Life Sciences Research Foundation
Life Sciences Research Foundation: Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant
LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Amount
Up to US $231,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
LSRF Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
LIFE SCIENCES RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Amount
$255,000 ($85,000/year for 3 years)
Deadline
October 31, 2026
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOUGLAS E KOSHLAND | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| DANIEL GOTTSCHLING | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| D LEANNA JONES | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| JEREMY NATHANS | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| NEAL SILVERMAN | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| MENG WANG | VICE PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| BRUCE ALBERTS | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| BONNIE BASSLER | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| THOMAS CECH | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| ELAINE FUCHS | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| SUSAN HOCKFIELD | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| H ROBERT HORVITZ | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| DAVID J JULIUS | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| RUTH LEHMANN | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| SCOTT MCISAAC | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| STEVEN L MCKNIGHT | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| ERIC OLSON | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| PHILLIP A SHARP | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| MARC TESSIER-LAVIGNE | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| SHIRLEY M TILGHMAN | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| ROBERT TJIAN | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| FENG ZHANG | TRUSTEE OF ADVISORY BOARD | 1 | — |
| SUSAN DAVIDSON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/TREASURER | 35 | $100,008 |
Contact Information
Mailing Address: Life Sciences Research Foundation 3020-I Prosperity Church Road, PMB 267 Charlotte, North Carolina 28269
Email:
- Application questions: apply@lsrf.org
- Post-award administration or sponsorship questions: admin@lsrf.org
Phone: 980-616-0551
Website: lsrf.org
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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