Redefining the future of basic scientific research at Salk

Overview of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Every cure has a starting point. The Salk Institute embodies Jonas Salk’s mission to dare to make dreams into reality. Its internationally renowned and award-winning scientists explore the very foundations of life, seeking new understandings in neuroscience, genetics, immunology, plant biology and more. The Institute is an independent nonprofit organization and architectural landmark: small by choice, intimate by nature and fearless in the face of any challenge. Be it cancer or Alzheimer’s, aging or diabetes, Salk is where cures begin.

Funding Opportunities

Salk features four key funding opportunities available for your support:

• Salk Innovation Grants: Selected by Salk’s scientific review committee, these support early stage research that would be unlikely to receive funding from traditional sources such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
• Salk Cancer Center Director’s Fund: This fund was established to accelerate discovery and advance priorities at the Salk Cancer Center in the form of general annual support. An NIH-designated cancer center, Salk’s cancer research comprises approximately half of the Institute’s overall research.
• The Irwin Jacobs Rockstar Recruitment Fund: This fund is used to recruit new faculty to Salk and empower them to pursue the leads that hold the most promise for ushering in the next generation of transformative breakthroughs. It is named in honor of longtime Salk Board Chair Irwin Jacobs.
• The Salk Fellows Program: Salk Fellows are scientists from a broad range of disciplines who come to the Institute to catalyze interdisciplinary innovation and perpetuate the collaborative spirit upon which Salk was founded. Gifts to this program support the Institute’s ability to bring these experts to Salk.

Please contact Senior Director of Foundation Relations Amy Fouts-Wampler at wampler@salk.edu with any general inquiries. For more information about each of the funding opportunities outlined above, please read Salk Institute Funding Opportunities.