Paul Karon

A year after their son died as a result of complications from neurofibromatosis, mortgage lending billionaire Dan Gilbert and his wife Jennifer continue to plow research dollars into the incurable genetic disorder.

As the field advances at a quick clip, the Dana Foundation, Kavli Foundation and the late Paul Allen’s philanthropic vehicles are all pursuing ways to push neuroscience into new, cross-disciplinary territory.

Renaissance Philanthropy is led by science and tech funding veterans from Schmidt Futures. Its goal: to engage donors around ambitious ideas, in part by building out a new funding model for research and development.

SCI Ventures, launched with $27 million, will invest in companies developing new therapies and technologies to treat spinal cord injuries and paralysis. Spearheading the effort is the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

The Kavli Foundation and Wellcome Trust have joined the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support the development of open source software tools — often the unsung heroes in modern scientific research.

The Annenberg Foundation has brought in expert help to better understand how AI can be integrated into its operations in a deliberate and mission-oriented way.

A new report shows HIV-related giving continuing to fall as infection rates in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and other regions rise. Long-underserved groups, including women and girls, are disproportionately impacted.

The Gulf Futures Challenge — launched by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine through Lever for Change — aims to help the Gulf region thrive through science, engineering and medical knowledge.

Bloomberg Philanthropies' $600 million commitment more than doubles the endowments of three of the nation's four historically Black medical schools. Is a paradigm shift toward broader big-donor HBCU support underway?

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute has committed $500 million over the next decade for AI-driven biomedical research. Amid broader AI fears, HHMI sees this as an area for hope.