OSA Foundation Inc
OSA Foundation Inc is a Washington, DC–based public charity affiliated with Optica. Formed in 2002, it supports philanthropic activities advancing Optica’s mission, including awards, prizes, and scholarships in optics and photonics.
OSA Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: OSA Foundation Inc reported $778K in grants paid in 2025 (a total; its filing lists no individual grants). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Grants paid (2025)
- $777,821 — reported as a total on the IRS filing, without an itemized list
- +623.6% vs 2024
- Total assets
- $44,195,694
- +14.7% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $2,596,561
- -56.8% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $1,640,274
- -63.5% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $1,634,220
- -51.5% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to OSA Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
For the Photonics Workforce Scholarship, a qualifying school representative nominates a student with a brief recommendation letter. For the Hilbert travel grant, applicants submit a paper to FiO+LS or, when applicable, IODC, and opt into the competition before the deadline. For the Bennett travel grant, applicants apply when submitting a paper; the program requires an accepted FiO paper or poster, current membership, and student status.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2010 Massachusetts Ave Nw, Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 223-8130
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
17 open opportunities from OSA Foundation Inc
Amplify Scholarship Grant
OSA Foundation Inc
Amount
US $10,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bennett Memorial Student Travel Grant
OSA Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Bonenfant International Travel Scholarship Grant
OSA Foundation Inc
Amount
US $9,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who OSA Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
6 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 3 grants of 6 (50%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Washington, DC. The available information does not specify a geographic limit for its funding.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $12K (2020) to $1.4M (2022). In 2025 it reported $778K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Inc Boston, MA | Travel Grant | $100,000 |
| The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | Student Grant | $7,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,195,694 | $2,596,561 | $1,634,220 | $777,821 | Total only | $1,640,274 |
| 2024 | $38,521,152 | $6,013,285 | $3,366,261 | $107,500 | 2 | $4,488,839 |
| 2023 | $39,030,109 | $8,678,480 | $3,084,864 | $217,500 | 4 | $4,173,919 |
| 2022 | $32,440,327 | $6,158,345 | $3,041,444 | $1,402,613 | Total only | $793,684 |
| 2021 | $35,009,133 | $6,732,341 | $771,946 | $257,272 | Total only | $2,908,458 |
| 2020 | $28,376,150 | $3,848,727 | $887,691 | $12,000 | 1 | $1,144,736 |
| 2019 | $22,982,349 | $2,536,355 | $1,226,256 | $27,000 | 2 | $789,431 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that it supports Optica’s work to promote the generation, application, archiving, and worldwide dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics. Its filing also describes awards, prizes, and scholarships for people with distinction in those fields.
Listed programs include scholarships for technician-program students and student travel grants recognizing research excellence in optical engineering, lens design, and illumination design. The Photonics Workforce Scholarship pays funds directly to students for program-related expenses; it is not a grant to an outside organization.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported two grants totaling $107,500 in 2024, an average of $53,750 per grant. In 2023, it reported four grants totaling $217,500, an average of $54,375 per grant. Its 2025 filing reported no grants. No grantee names or grant amounts are provided in the available information.
The foundation’s program information describes a pilot Photonics Workforce Scholarship that awards 20 scholarships annually, with funds paid directly to students. A school dean, program director, lead professor, or comparable person at a school with a technician program initiates the process by recommending a student in a brief letter; the foundation then contacts the student. The program information also describes the Hilbert Memorial Student Travel Grant, with up to three $1,000 awards annually, and the Bennett Memorial Student Travel Grant, with two $1,000 awards for students presenting at Optica’s annual meeting.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elizabeth Nolan, Optica CEO; Eric Mazur, Chair; and directors Magnus Bengtsson, Stephen D Fantone, Eve Griliches, Antigone Marino, Rick Plympton, Valey Kamalov, Simin Cai, and Michal Lipson.
OSA Foundation Inc is led by Elizabeth Nolan, Optica CEO on the 2025 filing; none of the 12 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Nolan
Optica CEO
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Mazur
Chair
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Antigone Marino
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen D Fantone
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eve Griliches
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Magnus Bengtsson
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rick Plympton
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Valey Kamalov
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Simin Cai
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michal Lipson
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Abruzzo
Senior Director General Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
George BayZ
Secretary Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Chad Stark (2019–2024) — Executive Director -
- Former: Satoshi Kawata (2022–2023) — Member
- Former: Connie Chang-Hasnain (2022) — Member
- Former: Alexander Sawchuk (2019–2021) — Past Chair
- Former: Linda Smith (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Erich Ippen (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: James R Fienup (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Ursula Gibson (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Wendy Laurin (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Ian Walmsley (2019) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about OSA Foundation Inc
How much does OSA Foundation Inc give each year?
OSA Foundation Inc reported $778K in grants paid in 2025 on its 2025 IRS Form 990, as a total without an itemized list of grants. In 2024 it gave $108K across 2 grants.
How large is OSA Foundation Inc?
OSA Foundation Inc reported $44.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.6M.
What does OSA Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation states that it supports Optica’s work to promote the generation, application, archiving, and worldwide dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics. Its filing also describes awards, prizes, and scholarships for people with distinction in those fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from OSA Foundation Inc?
For the Photonics Workforce Scholarship, a qualifying school representative nominates a student with a brief recommendation letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does OSA Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation is based in Washington, DC. The available information does not specify a geographic limit for its funding.
What is OSA Foundation Inc's EIN?
OSA Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 71-0913500. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2023)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work OSA Foundation Inc funds
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