Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is a private, nonprofit institution and public charity based in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Founded in 1888, it supports scientific discovery and education through research facilities, scientific courses, workshops, and opportunities for researchers to work at MBL.
Key facts about Marine Biological Laboratory
In short: Marine Biological Laboratory gave $3.0M across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $129K), top state Massachusetts. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 04-2104690
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,958,795
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- Average grant
- $128,643
- Median grant
- $58,830
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (5 of 23, 2025)
- Total assets
- $246,532,340
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (23% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Application procedures and deadlines vary by program; consult the information for the program of interest. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$246.5M
+0.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.0M
+18.4% YoY
Grant Count
23
-4.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$129K
+23.5% YoY
Is Marine Biological Laboratory open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 23 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $48K; repeat grants $151K. How we count
Medians: $43K first-time, $68K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
MBL’s mission is scientific discovery through research and education. Its stated research areas include cell and regenerative biology, neuroscience, sensory physiology, comparative evolution and genomics, microbiomes and microbial ecology, imaging and computation, and adaptation and resilience of environmental systems and organisms.
MBL’s 2025 grants were designated for research. Its 2024 recipients included universities and research-related organizations. For example, the University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a community of scholars and students. The University of Georgia Research Foundation says it supports the University of Georgia’s teaching, research, and public service mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, MBL reported 23 grants totaling $2,958,795. Grant amounts ranged from $12,205 to $585,015, with a median of $58,830. The largest awards included $585,015 to Yale University for research, $457,737 to the University of Texas at Dallas for research, and $415,927 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution for research. Other large recipients included the University of Chicago ($247,177), the Regents of the University of Minnesota ($191,632), and the Nature Conservancy ($190,080), each for research.
MBL also offers Whitman Center Fellowships for scientists to conduct research at MBL for 4 to 10 weeks, year-round. The program particularly encourages applications in areas including regenerative and developmental biology, microbiomes, and neuroscience, with an emphasis on marine organisms. The fellowship covers laboratory rental and housing costs, with additional funding available to support trainees; early-stage investigators and people underrepresented in science are among those identified as eligible applicants. MBL’s funding-opportunities information directs prospective applicants to the individual program for its application procedure and deadline.
How to Apply
Application procedures and deadlines vary by program; consult the information for the program of interest.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Marine Biological Laboratory
Ready to take the next step with Marine Biological Laboratory?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
MBL’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported shares were Massachusetts (23%), Connecticut (20%), Texas (15%), Illinois (11%), and Virginia (8%). These figures describe the locations of recipients in that filing year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2020) to $3.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $3.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Yale University ($585K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 51 grants of 129 (40%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Research | $585,015 |
| University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX | Research | $457,737 |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst Woods Hole, MA | Research | $415,927 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Research | $247,177 |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN | Research | $191,632 |
| Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Research | $190,080 |
| Northeastern University Boston, MA | Research | $133,561 |
| Rutgers University Research & Sponsored Programs New Brunswick, NJ | Research | $82,312 |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | Research | $72,155 |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center (Cincinnati Children's Hospital) Cincinnati, OH | Research | $64,558 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $246,532,340 | $55,357,167 | $56,304,118 |
| 2024 | $245,049,089 | $57,348,551 | $55,742,822 |
| 2023 | $238,727,925 | $53,580,215 | $54,031,145 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $246,532,340 | $245,049,089 | $238,727,925 |
| Revenue | $55,357,167 | $57,348,551 | $53,580,215 |
| Expenses | $56,304,118 | $55,742,822 | $54,031,145 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,114,533 | $4,469,377 | $1,435,221 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nipam H. Patel as Director of the MBL; A. Paul Alivisatos as former Chair of the Board of Trustees; Juan J. de Pablo as Trustee; and Lori Berko as Secretary of the MBL Corporation. It also lists Linda Hyman as Director of Education, Paul E. Speer as Chief Operating Officer, Anne Sylvester as Director of Research, and Mary S. Harrington as Chief Financial Officer.
Marine Biological Laboratory is led by William I Huyett, Chair of the Board of Trustees since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 10 of 39 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William I Huyett
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Trustee → Chair of the Board of Trustees, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Morgan
Director of the Eugene Bell Center
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$196K (2020) → $220K (2025)
Linda Hyman
Director of Education
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$137K (2020) → $299K (2025)
Marie Russell
Director of Facilities & Services
Director, Facilities & Services → Director of Facilities & Services, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$186K (2020) → $217K (2025)
Nipam H Patel
Director of the Mbl
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$398K (2020) → $509K (2025)
Anne Sylvester
Director of Research
Director & Division of Research → Director of Research, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$281K (2023) → $282K (2025)
Avram Hershko
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher G Kennedy
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Constance T Keller
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David A Greene
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dyann F Wirth
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ethan A Lerner
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John W McCarter
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John W Rowe
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samme L Thompson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Juan J de Pablo
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Timothy A Springer
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William A Linton
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret J Fofonoff
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter D Barbey
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald P OHanley
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Walter E Massey
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brien M OBrien
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine E Hibbitt
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan M Fitzpatrick
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jean A King
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Thomas
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Johnson
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lewis T Williams
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Max Paul Rosen
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Rosiello
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David B Mark Welch
Senior Scientist
Director & Division of Research → Senior Scientist, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$250K (2020) → $200K (2025)
Joshua Rosenthal
Senior Scientist
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$220K (2020) → $246K (2025)
Mary S Harrington
Chief Financial Officer
Treasurer & Director of Finance → Chief Financial Officer, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$205K (2020) → $237K (2025)
Paul E Speer
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$282K (2020) → $295K (2025)
Alexandra Z Worden PhD
Senior Scientist
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$214K (2025)
Lori Berko
Secretary of the Mbl Corporation
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saul J Pannell
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
A Paul Alivisatos
Former Chair of the Board of Trustees
Chair of the Board of Trustees → Former Chair of the Board of Trustees, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (19)
- Former: Patrice O Yarbough (2022–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Scott Koerner (2022–2024) — Director of Information Technology
- Former: Sebastien Laye (2022–2024) — Former Chief Advancement Officer
- Former: David B Fithian (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Robert J Zimmer (2020–2023) — Former Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Former: William T Speck (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: James N Galloway (2020–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Mitchell L Sogin (2020–2022) — Distinguished Scientist
- Former: David Hibbitt (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Paul Alivisatos (2022) — Trustee
- Former: Balaji Srinivasan (2020–2021) — Former Trustee
- Former: Meg Fofonoff (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Roger T Hanlon (2020–2021) — Director of the Marine Resource Center
- Former: Chris Kennedy (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Daniel Diermeier (2020) — Trustee
- Former: H David Hibbitt (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Katie Callow-Wright (2020) — Secretary of the Mbl Corporation
- Former: L Patrick Gage (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Robert H Ament (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $509K, to Nipam H Patel (Director of the MBL). 10 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 7 Mbl Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543
Phone: (508) 289-7239
Website: https://mbl.edu
Frequently asked questions about Marine Biological Laboratory
How much does Marine Biological Laboratory give each year?
Marine Biological Laboratory gave $3.0M across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.5M across 24 grants.
What is Marine Biological Laboratory's typical grant size?
Marine Biological Laboratory's median grant in 2025 was $58,830, and its average grant was $128,643, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marine Biological Laboratory that year got $48K on average.
Where does Marine Biological Laboratory give grants?
Marine Biological Laboratory's top state is Massachusetts, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Connecticut (20%) and Texas (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Marine Biological Laboratory give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Marine Biological Laboratory's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (23 grants).
Who are Marine Biological Laboratory's largest grantees?
Marine Biological Laboratory's largest 2025 grantees include Yale University ($585,015), University of Texas at Dallas ($457,737) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst ($415,927), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Marine Biological Laboratory?
Marine Biological Laboratory reported $246.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $55.4M.
What does Marine Biological Laboratory fund?
MBL’s mission is scientific discovery through research and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marine Biological Laboratory?
Application procedures and deadlines vary by program; consult the information for the program of interest. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Marine Biological Laboratory's EIN?
Marine Biological Laboratory's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2104690. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Marine Biological Laboratory by hand.
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Marine Biological Laboratory down — hundreds of funders to go?