September 2026 Research Webinar
The recording and slide deck from the Research Program’s September 2026 webinar on the new application process are now available. The session covers the details of the application as well as details about what the Foundation looks for in the projects it funds. Watch the recording | Download the slides (PDF) Questions about the application […]
W. M. Keck Foundation Grantee Karl Deisseroth Wins Nobel Prize
Congratulations to Karl Deisseroth, recipient of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine! In 2008, three years after Dr. Deisseroth’s first optogenetics report, the W. M. Keck Foundation awarded Stanford $1.5 million to support six principal investigators led by Dr. Deisseroth on Fast Multicolor Control of Biology. The grant helped turn optogenetics into a […]
New Research Application Instructions
Application Instructions for the Foundation’s new application cycle are published and available to download. The Foundation is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, September 22 to discuss the new process and instructions. Sign up and submit questions here. Important changes to be aware of:
June 2026 Southern California Grant Awards
In June 2026, the Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded grants to 9 organizations in Southern California, totaling $3.1 million. The Foundation is pleased to share these project summaries from our recent grant recipients who we believe will have a great impact in the years to come.
WMKF Bridge Funding Initiative
W. M. Keck Foundation Provides Bridge Funding to Support Early Career Scientists Amid Federal Funding Uncertainty: The W. M. Keck Foundation announced $76 million in total grantmaking for 2025, including a one-time bridge funding initiative designed to support early career scientists navigating reductions in federal research funding. The special initiative increased the Foundation’s annual investment […]
December 2025 Research Grant Abstracts
In December 2025, the Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded 13 grants in the Research Program, totaling $15.4 million. Abstracts for these grants have been released. Congratulations to all our grantees this cycle!
December 2025 Southern California Grant Awards
In December 2025, the Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded grants to 12 organizations in Southern California, totaling $3.75 million. Summaries for these grants have been released. Congratulations to all our grantees this cycle!
W. M. Keck Foundation Grantee Michel Devoret wins Nobel Prize
Congratulations to Michel Devoret, recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics! Devoret won the prize for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. The prize rewards the discovery and demonstration that quantum mechanical properties can be realized on a macroscopic scale with behaviors predicted by quantum mechanics. […]
The Foundation Welcomes Dr. Beth Pruitt as Inaugural Chief Scientific Officer
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Beth Pruitt as the Foundation’s inaugural Chief Scientific Officer. She joins us with an extraordinary record of scientific achievement, leadership, and strategic vision. Dr. Pruitt holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and both an M.S. in Manufacturing Systems Engineering and a Ph.D. in Mechanical […]
June 2025 Grant Abstracts
In June 2025, the Foundation’s Board of Directors awarded grants to 17 organizations, totaling $19.6 million. Abstracts for these grants have been released. Congratulations to all our grantees this cycle! 11 grants were awarded in the Research Program, totaling $12.8 million. Abstracts for this cycle’s Research grants are available here. 6 grants were awarded in […]