At its annual meeting in Carlsbad, CA, on October 1, 2018, the Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI) presented its 2018 Public Service Award to Science Philanthropy Alliance president Marc Kastner and executive director Valerie Conn. “This award is due to the commitment of our board members, staff, consultants, members, and the philanthropists who are generously supporting discovery science research,” said Valerie.

From the AIRI meeting agenda:

AIRI is proud to present the 2018 Public Service Award to the Science Philanthropy Alliance. The Alliance is a community of funders who serve both as champions and advisors to other philanthropists to ensure more private funding is committed to basic research initiatives to support scientific, technological and medical breakthroughs. Since its founding in 2012, the Alliance has been instrumental in providing insight into the opportunities and complexities philanthropists face in funding discovery science, and has helped to advise new, emerging and current philanthropists and foundations on how to most effectively support basic research. Many AIRI institutes have received philanthropic funding from members of the Science Philanthropy Alliance.