News

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 process can be sent to research@wmkeck.org.

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 tool for controlling brain circuits in freely moving animals. The team applied the tools to models of Parkinson’s disease, depression, and other disorders and published 42 peer-reviewed papers.

In 2021, the Foundation again backed Dr. Deisseroth with co-investigator Dr. Zhenan Bao through a $1 million award. Their project builds on genetically targeted chemical assembly, a method that directs specific cells to build functional materials within living organisms. With Keck support, the team improved the precision of polymer assembly on living neurons (Science Advances, 2023).

Both grants reflect the Keck Foundation’s commitment to supporting bold ideas early. The Foundation is proud to have supported awardees of 12 Nobel Prizes.

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:

• Concepts: We will no longer be hosting concept consultations
• Deadlines: Submission deadlines in December and June
• Application limits: Up to three applications per institution, not limited to any area of science. The Foundation will not fund more than one project in the same field from the same institution in a cycle.
• Budget: A budget is not required for the initial submission. Applicants selected for further review will submit budget details and a financial narrative through the portal.

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.

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 in basic research grants by over 50 percent.

Through its Keck Scholar-Fellow Bridge Initiative, the Foundation provided two-year grants to 75 pairs of promising faculty members and their Ph.D. students at California institutions, funding doctoral student support and essential research expenses during a period of significant uncertainty in the federal funding landscape.

With this funding the Foundation aims to provide continuity in the research and training pipeline that drives American innovation.

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!