The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is an American

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 ...

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. It was established in 1934 by

Alfred P. Sloan Jr. Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr. ( ; May 23, 1875February 17, 1966) was an American executive officer, business executive in the automotive industry. He was a long-time President (corporate title), president, chairman and CEO of General Motors, Genera ...

, then-president and chief executive officer of General Motors. The Sloan Foundation makes grants to support original research and broad-based education related to science, technology, and economics. The foundation is an independent entity and has no formal relationship with General Motors.About the Foundation
Sloan Foundation. As of 2017, the Sloan Foundation's assets totaled $1.9 billion.

History

During the initial years of Alfred P. Sloan’s presidency, the foundation devoted its resources almost exclusively to education in economics and business. Grants were made to develop materials to improve high school and college economics teaching; for preparation of and wide distribution of inexpensive pamphlets on the pressing economic and social issues of the day; for weekly radio airing of round table discussions on current topics in economics and related subjects; and for establishing a Tax Institute at the

Wharton School The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in P ...

of the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

to interpret new taxes and new trends in

public finance Public finance is the study of the role of the government in the economy. It is the branch of economics that assesses the government revenue and government expenditure of the public authorities and the adjustment of one or the other to achiev ...

for the average citizen. From 1936 to 1945, Harold S. Sloan, an economist and Alfred's younger brother, served as director and vice president of the foundation. The Sloan Foundation also made many civic contributions to the foundation's home city of New York, including grants to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Channel 13, New York Public Library,

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

, and the Fund for the City of New York. Starting January 2018, Adam Falk, past president of Williams College, assumed the presidency of the foundation.

Programs

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants in seven broad subjects, known within the foundation as major program areas. * Science * Economics * STEM Higher Education * Digital Information Technology * Public Understanding of Science, Technology & Economics * Working Longer * Energy & Environment The Sloan Work and Family Researchers Network supports research and education about work-family issues. The foundation also funded the national workplace flexibility campaign as part of the Working Families program led by Kathleen E. Christensen. The

Sloan Research Fellowship The Sloan Research Fellowships are awarded annually by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation since 1955 to "provide support and recognition to early-career scientists and scholars". This program is one of the oldest of its kind in the United States. ...

s are annual awards given to more than 126 young researchers and university faculty, to further studies in chemistry, computational and evolutionary microbiology,

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyzes ...

, mathematics,

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, developme ...

, ocean sciences and

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

. In March 2008, the foundation awarded a $3 million grant to 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 know ...

. It made additional grants in July 2011 and January 2017. The Sloan Foundation is the primary funder of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, a major astronomical survey that began data collection in 2000. In 1945, the Sloan Foundation donated $4 million to launch the Sloan Kettering Cancer Institute, now the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. In 1950, the Sloan Foundation made a gift of more than $5 million to establish a School of Industrial Management, now known as the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Presidents

(19341961) #Everett Case (19621968) #Nils Y. Wessell (19691979) #Albert Rees (19791988) # Ralph E. Gomory (19892007) # Paul L. Joskow (20082017) # Adam F. Falk (2018present)

References

External links

*
Work and Family Researchers Network

Sloan Foundation Grant records
at Williams College Archives & Special Collections {{DEFAULTSORT:Sloan Foundation Organizations established in 1934 Boston College Non-profit organizations based in New York City 1934 establishments in New York (state)