The Richard Lounsbery Foundation is a

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

organization in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1959, to enhance national strengths in science and technology (in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

) and to foster strong Franco-American cooperation. To this day, the foundation has stayed true to its roots while expanding to promote science among youth, and to support components of US policy issues about science. The foundation supports research projects, science education, key scientific policy issues, and others.

History

The foundation was set up from the Lounsbery family's wealth which derived from the extensive business activities of

James Ben Ali Haggin James Ben Ali Haggin (December 9, 1822 – September 12, 1914) was an American attorney, rancher, investor, art collector, and a major owner and breeder in the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. Haggin made a fortune in the aftermath of the Cal ...

, grandson of

Ibrahim Ben Ali Ibrahim ben Ali ( tr, Ali oğlu İbrahim) or after baptism Ibraham Adam Ben Ali (1756–1800), was an Ottoman-Turkish soldier and physician who first drew notice as a convert-friend of the Dublin Methodist theologian Adam Clarke, and after spen ...

and the grandfather of

Richard Lounsbery Richard Lounsbery (born in New York City in 1882, died 1967) was an American businessman. The Richard Lounsbery Foundation was set up with his family's wealth. Early life Lounsbery was born in New York City in 1882 into an affluent family. His ...

. It was founded in 1959 and has had charitable status since 1960. In 1967, after Richard Lounsbery's death, Vera Lounsbery, Richard Lounsbery's wife, and the family attorney, Alan F. McHenry, established the goals of the foundation clearly. McHenry became the first president of the foundation in 1980. McHenry's son, Richard, currently serves on the foundation's board of directors.

Presidents

Board of Directors

Mission

The Richard Lounsbery Foundation aims to enhance national strengths in science and technology through support of programs in the following areas: research that helps build bridges between outstanding groups outside the US and American science; joint international research between nations in conflict; science and technology components of US policy issues; elementary and secondary science and math education, especially in New York City and Washington, D.C.; historical studies and contemporary assessments of key trends in the natural sciences; and start-up assistance for establishing the infrastructure of research projects or new fields of research. Among international initiatives, the foundation has a long-standing priority in French-American cooperation. The foundation generally provides seed money or partial support, rarely renews grants for continuing activities, does not normally fund endowments or capital equipment, and aims to achieve high impact by funding novel projects and forward-looking leaders. The foundation takes a special interest in cooperative activities between French and American scholars. It may have been the first philanthropic organization to fund the

Wikimedia Foundation The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., or Wikimedia for short and abbreviated as WMF, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California and registered as a charitable foundation under local laws. Best kno ...

. A prospective Lounsbery grant in late 2004 accelerated Wikimedia to get

US Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

approval as an educational foundation in April 2005. The foundation's largest and most frequent grantees include the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...

, U.S. National Academy of Sciences,

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a 501(c) organization which focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training for students, educa ...

, French Académie des Sciences
U.S. Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars
and

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and ...

. The foundation's recent giving history is published on thei
website.

Awards and grants

Awards supported by the foundation include: * The

Richard Lounsbery Award The Richard Lounsbery Award is given to American and French scientists, 45 years or younger, in recognition of "extraordinary scientific achievement in biology and medicine." The Award alternates between French and American scientists, and is aw ...

in biology or medicine.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://rlounsbery.org Scientific research foundations in the United States Foundations based in Washington, D.C.