Seti Institute
The SETI Institute is a non-profit research organization incorporated in 1984, headquartered in Mountain View, California, near NASA Ames Research Center. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity and functions as a research services company focused on astrobiology, astronomy, astrophysics, data science, exoplanets, heliophysics, planetary exploration, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The Institute employs approximately 189 people and operates in 22 countries.
Key facts about Seti Institute
- EIN
- 94-2951356
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,034,080
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- Average grant
- $70,141
- Median grant
- $38,012
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (7 of 29, 2025)
- Total assets
- $247,111,742
- Primary geography
- California (39% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Seti Institute funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Seti Institute's 29 itemized 2025 grants were California (39%), Arizona (23%) and Texas (8%). None of its 29 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Research" (29 grants).
Is Seti Institute open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 29 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $55K; repeat grants $75K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $44K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Seti Institute
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$247.1M
+4.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+3.5% YoY
Grant Count
29
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$70K
+3.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To lead humanity's quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and share that knowledge with the world.
The SETI Institute is organized around three primary centers:
Carl Sagan Center for Research — Conducts groundbreaking scientific investigations with over 100 scientists exploring fundamental questions about the origin and proliferation of life on Earth and beyond. Research areas include the early universe, formation of galaxies, stars, planets, and moons, environments that can support life, and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence using radio and optical telescopes. The Institute partners with NASA, the National Science Foundation, and other institutions in basic research and serves as a contractor to NASA's Office of Planetary Protection. Research also includes non-human communications and quantum astronomy.
Center for Education — Promotes STEM education through NASA- and NSF-funded programs aimed at teaching and inspiring children, young adults, and educators with emphasis on space sciences and astrobiology. Programs include internships, the NASA Community College Network (NCCN), the ARISE Project, Astronomy Activation Ambassadors (AAA), and the Unistellar College Astronomy Network (UCAN).
Center for Public Outreach — Engages the public with space science and discovery through digital, real-world, and broadcast activities, making complex scientific ideas accessible to all audiences.
The Institute is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access (DEIA) values and maintains a workplace that promotes mutual respect, trust, fairness, and objectivity.
Grantmaking
The SETI Institute awards grants and innovation funding in research and education. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The SETI Institute operates internationally, with presence in 22 countries including India, United Kingdom, Canada, Algeria, and Australia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 29 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Data (2023):
- Total Revenue: $209.9 million to $210 million
- Total Expenses: $25 million
- Total Assets: $210.7 million to $237 million
- Total Liabilities: $8.53 million
- Number of Employees: 146 to 189
Federal Funding (2025): The Institute has received $2.3 billion in federal awards from five agencies:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration: $2.197 billion (1,512 awards)
- Department of Health and Human Services: $81.2 million (13 awards)
- Department of Energy: $14.5 million (7 awards)
- National Science Foundation: $8.7 million (29 awards)
- Department of the Interior: $4.1 million (20 awards)
Major Gift: The Institute received a $200 million gift to propel scientific research in the search for life beyond Earth.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $247,111,742 | $237,032,764 | $210,749,653 |
| Revenue | $27,357,400 | $55,182,076 | $209,908,662 |
| Expenses | $30,913,579 | $28,838,314 | $25,047,459 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $611,222 | $4,585,156 | $17,001 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 22, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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
161 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Seti Institute
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Baja Technology LLC ($196,500), Planetary Science Institute ($187,842), West Ed ($175,432).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BAJA TECHNOLOGY LLC Tempe, AZ | RESEARCH | $196,500 |
| PLANETARY SCIENCE INSTITUTE Tucson, AZ | RESEARCH | $187,842 |
| WEST ED Los Alamitos, CA | RESEARCH | $175,432 |
| SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (SWRI) San Antonio, TX | RESEARCH | $172,064 |
| SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION San Diego, CA | RESEARCH | $159,176 |
| CHABOT SPACE & SCIENCE CENTER FOUNDATION Oakland, CA | RESEARCH | $149,135 |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY West Lafayette, IN | RESEARCH | $132,676 |
| CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES San Francisco, CA | RESEARCH | $111,303 |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES Gainesville, FL | RESEARCH | $97,360 |
| THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT RIVERSIDE Riverside, CA | RESEARCH | $86,445 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founder & Historical Leadership: Tom Pierson (former CEO and founder, former grants administrator at San Francisco State University) and Dr. Jill Tarter (astronomer and co-founder).
Current Leadership: William Diamond serves as Principal Officer.
Historical Support: The Institute has received financial and leadership support from Carl Sagan, Frank Drake, Bernard Oliver, David Packard, William Hewlett, Gordon Moore, Paul Allen, Nathan Myhrvold, Lewis Platt, and Greg Papadopoulos. Two Nobel laureates have been associated with the organization.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Diamond | Secretary, President & CEO | 40 | $421,694 |
| Andrew Fraknoi | Director | 1 | $11,175 |
| Dan Lankford | Chairman of the Board | 1 | — |
| Dane Glasgow | Vice Chariman of the Board | 1 | — |
| Wendi Zhang | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Fritz Demopoulos | Director | 1 | — |
| Helmy Eltoukhy | Director | 1 | — |
| Reema Khan | Director | 1 | — |
| Amaresh Kollipara | Director | 1 | — |
| Marco Larsen | Director | 1 | — |
| Dava Newman | Director | 1 | — |
| Pierre Schwob | Director | 1 | — |
| Jill Tarter | Director | 1 | — |
| Stephen Trimberger | Director | 1 | — |
| Elizebeth Varghese | Director | 1 | — |
| Avery Wang | Director | 1 | — |
| Mannan Latif | Director | 1 | — |
| Mohanjit Jolly | Director | 1 | — |
| Bruce Campbell | Chief Financial Officer | 40 | $230,886 |
| Stephen Bourdow | Deputy Director, Operations | 40 | $183,369 |
| Janice Bishop | Senior Scientist | 40 | $246,314 |
| Joseph Twicken | Senior Data Scientist | 40 | $215,112 |
| Nathalie Cabrol | Director Carl Sagan Center | 40 | $210,000 |
| Peter Tenenbaum | Senior Pipeline Architect | 40 | $208,974 |
| Simon Steel | Director of Education and Public Outreach | 40 | $198,019 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The SETI Institute opened applications for the 2025 SETI Forward Award.
The Institute opened a call for nominations for the 2026 Tarter Award.
SETI Institute Opens Call for Nominations for the 2026 Tarter AwardThe Institute awarded education grants through the STRIDE Program.
SETI Institute Awards Its First Research and Education Innovation GrantsThe Institute held a "Hacking for SETI" event at the Allen Telescope Array in August 2025.
The "Big Picture Science" radio show and podcast, previously produced by the Center for Public Outreach, became independent in 2025.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Seti Institute fund?
**Mission:** To lead humanity's quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and share that knowledge with the world. The SETI Institute is organized around three primary centers: **Carl Sagan Center for Research** — Conducts groundbreaking scientific investigations with over 100 scientists exploring fundamental questions about the origin and proliferation of life on Earth and beyond. Research areas include the early universe, formation of galaxies, st…
How do I apply for a grant from Seti Institute?
The SETI Institute awards grants and innovation funding in research and education. Recent grantmaking activity includes: • **Research and Education Innovation Grants** — The Institute has awarded its first round of research and education innovation grants. • **STRIDE Program** — Education grants are awarded through this program. • **SETI Forward Award** — An award program for which applications are opened periodically. • **Tarter Award** — A nomination-based award program recognizing contributi…
Where does Seti Institute make grants?
The SETI Institute operates internationally, with presence in 22 countries including India, United Kingdom, Canada, Algeria, and Australia.
What size grants does Seti Institute award?
In 2025, Seti Institute awarded 29 grants totaling $2.0M — an average of about $70K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Seti Institute's EIN?
Seti Institute's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-2951356. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Seti Institute's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.