Northeastern University
Northeastern University is a public charity based in Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1898. Its filing describes an educational institution that provides instruction and advising, awards degrees across academic disciplines, and supports student financial aid, research, academic support, student services, and housing.
Northeastern University at a glance
In short: Northeastern University gave $46.1M across 183 grants in 2025 (avg $252K), top state Massachusetts. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $46,106,126
- -11.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 183
- +8.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $251,946
- -18.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,296
- Total assets
- $6,830,808,000
- +7.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (29 of 169, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (18% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Northeastern University
- How to Apply
-
The described TIER programs are for Northeastern faculty; TIER 3 applicants are asked to consult the relevant research-development contact and the Office of Research Development before submitting. For external research proposals, Northeastern’s guidance directs faculty to use its proposal-submission processes and submit materials to Research Enterprise Services at least five business days before the sponsor’s deadline.
- Contact
Mailing address: 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
Phone: (617) 373-2000
Website: https://northeastern.edu
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
14 open opportunities from Northeastern University
Amelia Peabody Scholarship Grant
Northeastern University
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Grant
Northeastern University
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Global Support Fund Grant
Northeastern University
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Northeastern University funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was US Ignite Inc ($6.8M). Together the top 10 received $20.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 14 grants to individuals ($1,421,441), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
792 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 278 grants of 792 (35%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Massachusetts (18%), Washington, DC (17%), Pennsylvania (8%), Texas (6%), and Alabama (5%). These figures describe the locations of reported grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 183 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Northeastern University open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 29 of 169 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $127K; repeat grants $303K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $88K repeat.
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $29.5M (2022) to $52.1M (2024). In 2025 it made 183 grants totaling $46.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| US Ignite Inc Washington, DC | Sub-Award | $6,842,860 |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA | Sub-Award | $2,454,010 |
| University of North Texas Denton, TX | Sub-Award | $1,999,473 |
| Temple University Philadelphia, PA | Sub-Award | $1,693,254 |
| Integrated Solutions for Systems Hunstville, AL | Sub-Award | $1,684,303 |
| University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | Sub-Award | $1,486,583 |
| Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Sub-Award | $1,230,619 |
| University of South Florida Tampa, FL | Sub-Award | $1,140,915 |
| Boston University Boston, MA | Sub-Award | $1,134,585 |
| University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc Athens, GA | Sub-Award | $1,010,698 |
Ready to take the next step with Northeastern University?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,830,808,000 | $3,159,117,922 | $3,055,043,076 | $46,106,126 | 183 | $132,724,505 |
| 2024 | $6,371,394,000 | $2,982,345,642 | $2,758,750,001 | $52,148,051 | 168 | $118,583,349 |
| 2023 | $5,973,617,000 | $2,586,227,003 | $2,460,539,353 | $42,180,274 | 156 | $47,959,405 |
| 2022 | $5,456,278,000 | $2,393,370,957 | $2,146,870,270 | $29,461,341 | 152 | $120,561,159 |
| 2021 | $4,696,880,000 | $2,060,202,511 | $1,846,626,305 | $31,195,119 | 133 | $93,076,703 |
| 2020 | $3,597,441,000 | $1,943,632,573 | $1,704,024,042 | $36,926,164 | 130 | $74,068,219 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The 2024 filing describes Northeastern’s educational purpose as enabling students to pursue educational goals through teaching and advising that lead to associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. It lists academic areas including health sciences, arts and design, business, computing and information science, engineering, professional studies, science, social sciences and humanities, and law.
The filing also describes student financial aid from government, institutional, endowment, and donor sources. Other program services include research, academic support, student services, student aid, and student housing. The filing says university endowment income primarily supports scholarships and professorships.
Reported 2025 grants include sub-awards to universities, research organizations, and other organizations. US Ignite, the largest listed recipient, describes its work as promoting U.S. leadership in applications and services for ultra-fast broadband networks and convening public-private partnerships for smart-city development. The University of Pittsburgh describes itself as a public research university serving its region, Pennsylvania, and the nation through education, research, and community partnership. Temple University describes its mission as providing access to higher education, research, and public service. These are the recipients’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
Northeastern reported 183 grants totaling $46,106,126 in filing year 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $5,114 to $6,842,860, with a median of $75,296. The listed grants are designated as sub-awards. The largest went to US Ignite Inc. ($6,842,860), the University of Massachusetts-Amherst ($2,454,010), the University of North Texas ($1,999,473), Temple University ($1,693,254), and Integrated Solutions for Systems ($1,684,303).
Northeastern’s website also describes internal funding programs. TIER 1 provides seed or proof-of-concept grants of up to $50,000 for 15 months to support faculty teams developing projects with a strategy for securing future external research funding. Cross-college collaboration is favored, and the program includes a mentored-award option for early-career faculty working with a senior faculty collaborator from a different discipline or college. The FY26 TIER 1 submission deadline of January 15, 2025, has passed; the website says there will be no FY27 competition in January 2026.
TIER 3 offers planning grants of up to $150,000 for broad multidisciplinary research initiatives and centers. Its guidelines call for applicants to develop a plan to establish Northeastern’s research capacity, identify milestones and deliverables, and specify a funding strategy. The page describes a rolling deadline and says applicants should consult the relevant research-development contacts before submitting.
The university also lists student funding programs, including Martinson Global Grants for eligible students in the John Martinson Honors Program participating in approved global experiences, and PEAK Fellowships supporting undergraduate research or creative projects. These are participant-support opportunities, not grants for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph E. Aoun as President and Trustee; Thomas Nedell as SVP Finance and Treasurer; Diane N. MacGillivray as SVP of University Advancement; David Madigan as Provost and SVP; Satyajit Dattagupta as Chief Enrollment Officer; David De Cremer as Dunton Family Dean; Kenneth W. Henderson as Chancellor and SVP Learning; Mary Strother as SVP and General Counsel; Michael A. Armini as SVP–External Affairs; and Mary Ludden as SVP Global Network and Strategic.
Northeastern University is led by Joseph E Aoun, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; 21 of 53 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph E Aoun
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$1.3M (2020) → $2.2M (2025)
Usama M. Fayyad
Executive Director - Institute for Ai
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$794K (2022) → $804K (2025)
Alexandros Makriyannis
George D Behrakis Chair
George D. Behrakis Chair → George D Behrakis Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$583K (2020) → $677K (2025)
Richard A D'Amore
Trustee & Chair
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alan S McKim
Trustee & Vice Chair
Trustee → Trustee & Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amin Khoury
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anita Nassar
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chaitanya Kanojia
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christophe P Weber
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher A Viehbacher
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David House
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Dunsire
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward G Galante
Trustee & Vice Chair
Trustee → Trustee & Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frances N Janis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Pallotta
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jean-Pascal Tricoire
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeannine P Sargent
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey J Clarke
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey S Bornstein
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John V Pulichino
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lucian Grainge CBE
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maha Shair
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcy L Reed
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melpomeni Travlos
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Spencer T Fung
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Deitch
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd M Manganaro
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William A Lowell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William J Conley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Winslow L Sargeant
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Subodh Chanrai
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Irene Panagopoulos
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Sanborn
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hemant Taneja
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelley Stewart
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Sceppa
Dean - Bouv Health Sciences
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$331K (2020) → $584K (2025)
David Luzzi
Senior Vice Provost - Research
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$611K (2020) → $743K (2025)
David Madigan
Provost & Senior Vice President
Provost & Svp-Appointed → Provost & Senior Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$483K (2021) → $1.2M (2025)
Diane N MacGillivray
Senior Vice President of University Advancement
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$1.1M (2020) → $1.1M (2025)
Jacqueline Isaacs
Vice Provost Faculty Affairs
Interim Dean - Coe → Vice Provost Faculty Affairs, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$373K (2020) → $338K (2025)
Kenneth W Henderson
Chancellor & Senior Vice President Learning
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$608K (2020) → $868K (2025)
Michael A Armini
Senior Vice President - External Affairs
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$509K (2020) → $691K (2025)
Thomas Nedell
Senior Vice President Finance & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$690K (2020) → $1.1M (2025)
Alessandro Vespignani
Sternberg Family Dist Prof
Sternberg Family Dist. Profess → Sternberg Family Dist Prof, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$577K (2021) → $746K (2025)
Gregory Abowd
Dean - Coe
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$417K (2022) → $629K (2025)
James Hackney
Dean School of Law
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$658K (2022) → $760K (2025)
Mary Strother
Senior Vice President & General Counsel
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$726K (2023) → $936K (2025)
Alan Mislove
Prof. & Senior Associate Dean
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$368K (2023) → $463K (2025)
Satyajit Dattagupta
Chief Enrollment Officer
Chief Enrl Officer → Chief Enrollment Officer, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$911K (2023) → $1.1M (2025)
David De Cremer
Dunton Family Dean
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$552K (2024) → $1.1M (2025)
Elizabeth Mynatt
Dean-Khoury College Comp Sci
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$611K (2024) → $771K (2025)
Hazel Sive
Dean College of Science
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$540K (2024) → $570K (2025)
Mary Ludden
Senior Vice President Global Network & Strategic
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$650K (2024) → $739K (2025)
Former officers (27)
- Former: Emery Trahan (2022–2025) — Donald F Harding Prof. Finance · Filing note: Until 923
- Former: Ronald Sargent (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Venetia Kontogouris (2020–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Jack Reynolds (2020–2023) — Prof Pharmacy & Health System
- Former: Joseph M Tucci (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Mary Loeffelholz (2020–2023) — Professor of English
- Former: Michael J Zamkow (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Ralph C Martin II (2020–2023) — Special Advisor to President
- Former: Sundar Kumarasamy (2020–2023) — Senior Vice Chancellor Strategic
- Former: William Coen (2020–2023) — Head Coach Men's Basketball
- Former: Elizabeth Mynatt Eff (2023) — Dean-Khoury College Comp Sci
- Former: Carla Brodley (2020–2022) — Prof., Dean & Executive Director
- Former: Hugh Courtney (2020–2022) — Professor Intl Business
- Former: Raj Echambadi (2020–2022) — Dunton Fam. Dean
- Former: Alan Mislove UNT (2022) — Interim Dean-Khoury
- Former: Sundar KumarasamyUntil (2022) — Vice President - Enrollment Management
- Former: Jim Bean (2020–2021) — Senior Advisor
- Former: Fernando Suarez (2021) — Jean C Tempel Chair & Group Ch
- Former: Albert-Laszlo Barabasi (2020) — Univ. Distinguished Professor
- Former: Arthur Zafiropoulo (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Henry J Nasella (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Nadine Aubry (2020) — Fmr Dean - Coe
- Former: Philomena V Mantella (2020) — Fmr Senior Vice President & CEO Life. Learn. Net
- Former: Seymour Sternberg (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Susan L Parish (2020) — Fmr Dean-Bouv Health Sciences
- Former: William J Cotter (2020) — Trustee
- Former: William S Howard (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 $2.2M, to Joseph E Aoun (President/Trustee). 22 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Northeastern University
How much does Northeastern University give each year?
Northeastern University gave $46.1M across 183 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $52.1M across 168 grants.
What is Northeastern University's typical grant size?
Northeastern University's median grant in 2025 was $75,296, and its average grant was $251,946, across 183 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Northeastern University that year got $127K on average.
Where does Northeastern University give grants?
Northeastern University's top state is Massachusetts, with 18% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (17%) and Pennsylvania (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (16 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (4 grants).
Does Northeastern University give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 183 grants with a stated purpose on Northeastern University's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Sub-Award" (183 grants).
Who are Northeastern University's largest grantees?
Northeastern University's largest 2025 grantees include US Ignite Inc ($6,842,860), University of Massachusetts-Amherst ($2,454,010) and University of North Texas ($1,999,473), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 14 grants to individuals ($1,421,441), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Northeastern University?
Northeastern University reported $6.8B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.2B.
What does Northeastern University fund?
The 2024 filing describes Northeastern’s educational purpose as enabling students to pursue educational goals through teaching and advising that lead to associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Northeastern University?
The described TIER programs are for Northeastern faculty; TIER 3 applicants are asked to consult the relevant research-development contact and the Office of Research Development before submitting. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Northeastern University's EIN?
Northeastern University's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-1679980. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 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 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Northeastern University's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Northeastern University funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/northeastern-university-morg_b77cd12e71684719abd63663e9536877
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_041679980_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Northeastern University funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/northeastern-university-morg_b77cd12e71684719abd63663e9536877},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Northeastern University's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Northeastern University down — hundreds of funders to go?