Act for NIH is committed to advancing life-saving biomedical research by educating policymakers and the public about the importance of biomedical research undertaken by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Lasker is pleased to partner with Act for NIH to advocate for increases in the NIH budget, including meeting with Congressional representatives and undertaking other initiatives.
The Center for Women in Academic Medicine and Science (CWAMS) is dedicated to advancing gender equity and supporting the leadership of diverse women.
The Lasker Foundation is honored to be a founding sponsor of CWAMS. Lasker President Claire Pomeroy serves as chair of the board and is an adviser in the faculty advisory network sponsored by CWAMS.
The Coalition for Trust in Health & Science strives to ensure that all people have equitable access to the accurate, understandable, and relevant information necessary to make personally appropriate health choices and decisions.
Lasker is proud to be a member of the Coalition and to participate in its activities to increase public trust in scientists and in science.
LifeSci NYC is an over $1 billion initiative to create 40,000 new jobs and establish New York City as the global leader in life sciences.
Lasker President Pomeroy and Board Chair Anthony Evnin serve on the Life Sciences NYC Advisory Council, which Pomeroy co-chairs. The Council advises the city’s Economic Development Corporation in its work to grow the life sciences ecosystem, including expanding and diversifying the workforce, catalyzing the creation of companies, stimulating the economy, and contributing to improved health for all. Since inception, more than 750 students—including more than 160 in 2023—have been placed in paid internships to help develop the next generation of leaders in the life sciences.
Research!America advocates for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all. Lasker partners with Research!America to encourage support of medical research, including public funding for federal science agencies. The Lasker Foundation has also joined with Research!America to increase public engagement with science.
Visualizing the Landscape of Training Initiatives for Scientists in Public Engagement in the United States has produced an in-depth mapping of the public engagement training landscape in the United States. The partnership’s inaugural report offers a detailed overview of the diversity and scope of training initiatives that enhance public engagement for scientists. Notably, the report includes an interactive dashboard that provides a dynamic window into the rapidly developing field of training in public engagement. Together, the report and dashboard are designed to inspire new discussions, connections, and collaborations that further strengthen the ecosystem of public engagement training for scientists. Watch the launch of the report and dashboard.
The Science Philanthropy Alliance works to advance scientific discovery through visionary philanthropy. The Alliance currently has more than 30 members.
The Lasker Foundation joined the Alliance as a member in 2016. Lasker President Pomeroy serves on the Board of Directors. Lasker is pleased to partner with the Alliance to work to increase funding for basic science research by offering advice and learning opportunities for individual philanthropists and foundation staffs on how to most effectively support basic research.
The STEMM Opportunity Alliance (SOA) strives to achieve equity in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine by 2050. After a year of local summits and community engagement, SOA completed its draft National Strategy for STEMM Equity and Excellence in 2023.
The Lasker Foundation is proud to be a member of SOA and to contribute to advancing diversity in medical research and science.
Special Collaborations
Ethics in Science Philanthropy project
The Lasker Foundation is collaborating with the Rita Allen Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation on an Ethics in Science Philanthropy project. The project’s first convening was held in 2023 at the Banbury Center on the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory campus. Participants discussed approaches to actively manage ethical issues surrounding funding of science. Follow-up research is underway, conducted by a team of experienced scientists at University of Texas (including interviews with additional stakeholders). A report is expected to be released to the public in 2024.
Identifying Best Practices for Communications Workforce at Science Philanthropies
The Rita Allen, Lasker, and John Templeton foundations collaborated on a report, Identifying Best Practices for Communications Workforce at Science Philanthropies, that outlined how science philanthropies can amplify their impact through investing more purposefully in communications.
Elizabeth Good Christopherson, president and CEO of the Rita Allen Foundation; Heather Templeton Dill, president of the John Templeton Foundation; and Lasker President Pomeroy wrote a joint op-ed in the August 2019 issue of the Chronicle of Philanthropy highlighting take-aways from the report for philanthropic leaders.
The report includes recommendations to advance effective communications as part of science philanthropy:
- Consider communications goals, audiences, and tactics from the beginning of philanthropic initiatives and throughout their implementation.
- Diversify communications teams to enable a wider range of insights and experiences and reach broader audiences.
- Increase shared learning and partnerships, including with science communications trainers and social scientists.
- Prioritize communications-centered professional development to respond to rapidly changing information environments.
