Milky Way Research Foundation
2022---news/blau-lab-awarded-an-inaugural-milky-way-research-foundation-gran.html type: exa:news title: Blau Lab Awarded an Inaugural Milky Way Research Foundation Grant | Blau Lab | Stanford Medicine
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.2M
+35.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$16.4M
-41.0% YoY
Grant Count
17
-52.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$965K
+24.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on advancing the science of rejuvenation and supporting medical research related to physiological change over time. The foundation hosted a symposium during its early years to establish a vision for rejuvenation science, with topics including:
- Cellular reprogramming
- Epigenetic reprogramming
- Clocks and hallmarks of aging
- Organismal maturation and senescence
- Translational opportunities in aging research
Primary funding priorities include:
- Fundamental research on reversing cellular aging
- Technologies to extend healthy human lifespan
- Investigator award research grants in medical research
- Biomedical research in aging and cellular biology
Grantmaking
Grant Range
** $500,000 to $1,000,000 per award
Average Grant
** $772,413
How to Apply
** Grants applications are submitted through the foundation's online portal at https://milkywayrf.org/
Ready to take the next step with Milky Way Research Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports research nationally and internationally, with funding activity documented in:
United States: California, Massachusetts, Texas, and other states
International: Spain, United Kingdom, Japan
Cities with documented funding: Baltimore, Barcelona, Berkeley, Boston, and other major research hubs
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Fiscal Year (2024):
- Total Assets: $5,206,894
- Total Revenues: $18,181,812 to $30,038,500 (figures vary by source)
- Total Expenses: $13,157,350 to $26,997,009
- Total Giving: $16,399,481 to $27.8 million
Historical Growth:
- 2021: $1.67 million in revenue
- 2023: Over $30 million in revenue
- The foundation has experienced rapid financial growth since establishment
Employees: 0 (volunteer-led organization)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,206,894 | $3,832,047 | $1,968,509 |
| Revenue | $18,181,812 | $30,038,500 | $19,192,947 |
| Expenses | $13,157,350 | $26,997,009 | $22,096,300 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $16,806,764 | $27,174,862 | $16,363,107 |
| Net Investment Income | $11 | $8,939 | $110 |
| Distributable Amount | $93,368 | $220,822 | $51,360 |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- President: Richard D. Klausner, M.D., former Director of the National Cancer Institute (1995-2001)
- Director & Secretary: James A. Hutchinson, Esq.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICHARD KLAUSNER | DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT & TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JAMES A HUTCHINSON | DIRECTOR, SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has established itself as a significant funder in aging and rejuvenation research. Recent grant recipients have published research in peer-reviewed journals including Nature, with studies examining brain aging at single-cell resolution, multi-tissue transcriptomic aging, and joint cartilage regeneration. The foundation's inaugural grants were awarded to research teams at major institutions including Stanford Medicine's Blau Lab.
Brain aging and rejuvenation at single-cell resolution - PMC - NIHThe foundation also receives substantial support from the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, which made multiple grants to the Milky Way Research Foundation totaling over $21 million in 2024 for life science research.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
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Assets
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Total Given
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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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