Huo Family Foundation (uk) Limited

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: Over £5 million (varies annually)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Approximately 6 months (for research programs)
• Grant Range: £15,000 - £8 million
• Geographic Focus: UK, US, and China

Contact Details

Address: Withers LLP, Third Floor, 20 Old Bailey, London, EC4M 7AN

Phone: 020 7597 6000

Website: www.huofamilyfoundation.org

Grants Portal: grants.huofamilyfoundation.org

Email: science@huofamilyfoundation.org (for research programs)

Charity Number: 1133206

Company Number: 6451283

Overview

Founded in 2009 by Dr. Yan Huo, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Capula Investment Management LLP, the Huo Family Foundation is a London-based grant-giving foundation with a mission to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. Since inception, the Foundation has pledged over $75 million to impactful projects across the UK, US, and China. The Foundation takes a highly selective, relationship-driven approach to funding, with trustees selecting projects that “resonate with their own interests and life experiences.” Current strategic focus areas include education, the arts, and scientific research, particularly neuroscience and the effects of digital technology on children and young people. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests, instead identifying and approaching organisations directly or running targeted open calls for specific research themes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Foundation operates through two distinct funding models:

1. Invited Grants (No Open Applications)

• Arts & Culture: £125,000 - £450,000 per grant
• Major London institutions (Royal Academy of Arts, British Museum, National Gallery, Royal Opera House, Tate, Natural History Museum)
• Exhibition support and cultural programming

• Education Partnerships: £250,000 - £1.5 million
• Long-term partnerships with organisations like Teach First
• STEM teacher recruitment in disadvantaged communities
• Focus on measurable impact and leadership development

2. Targeted Research Open Calls (When Active)

• Huo Early-Career Fellowships: Up to £130,000 per year for up to 3 years
• Support for postdoctoral researchers on path to independence

• Junior Faculty Research Grants: Up to £200,000 per year for up to 3 years
• For assistant professors/new lecturers within ~2 years of first permanent position

• Special Projects: Up to £300,000 per year for up to 4 years
• One proposal permitted per lead institution
• For established research programmes

Recent research focus: £10 million programme on effects of digital technology on brain development, social behaviours and mental health in children and young people.

Priority Areas

Education

• Teacher recruitment and training in underserved communities
• STEM education in disadvantaged schools
• Leadership development for educators
• UK, US and China education initiatives (Teach First, Teach for China, Teach For All)

The Arts

• Major exhibitions at leading UK cultural institutions
• Focus on London museums and galleries
• Support for artistic programming with public benefit

Scientific Research

• Neuroscience and psychology
• Digital technology impact on young people
• Brain development and mental health
• Early-career researcher development

What They Don't Fund

Explicit Exclusions:

• Unsolicited applications (outside targeted open calls)
• Lead applicant or co-applicant salaries (for research grants)
• Projects outside UK and US (for research programmes)
• Organisations without UK charitable status or US 501(c)(3) status
• Overhead/indirect costs above 12.5% of total grant (US projects) or direct costs only (UK projects)

Geographic Restrictions:

• Research grants only available to UK and US-based researchers
• Arts funding focuses primarily on London institutions
• Education programmes in UK, US, and China only

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The Foundation has four trustees who meet regularly to review grant impact and consider new funding:

• Dr. Yan Huo - Trustee and founder. Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of Capula Investment Management LLP. Also serves as Trustee of Princeton University, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Fudan University. In his Giving Pledge letter, Dr. Huo stated: “I set up the Huo Family Foundation with a mission to support education, communities and the pursuit of knowledge. I am still at the beginning of my philanthropic journey and I have much to learn. I want to become more effective in my giving.”

• Dr. Xue Fang - Trustee

• Dr. Sam Lowe - Trustee. Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Capula Investment Management LLP

• Ms. Nancy Montmarquet - Trustee

Key Principle: No trustees receive any remuneration, payments or benefits from the charity.

Executive Team

• Rebecca Stewart, CEO - Joined the Huo family office in 2018, oversees the Foundation and family office operations

• Gary, Director of Research - Joined August 2024 in newly created role to lead expansion of scientific research programmes

• Brett, Finance Director - Joined June 2024

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Arts and Education Grants:

The Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Trustees identify and approach organisations that align with their strategic priorities.

For Research Programmes (When Open Calls Are Active):

• Applications must be submitted via grants.huofamilyfoundation.org
• No other submission methods accepted
• Requires institutional sign-off from senior colleague with relevant authority
• One 'Senior Sign-off' individual must endorse application before submission

Formatting Requirements:

• Arial 11 or 12-point type
• Single-spaced text
• 2.5 cm / 1 inch margins on all sides
• All costs in GBP (USD applications converted)

Institutional Limitations:

• Special Projects: Only one proposal permitted per lead institution

Decision Timeline

For Research Programmes:

From application deadline to decision: ~6 months

Typical timeline (based on recent calls):

• Late May: Application deadline
• Mid-September: Peer review comments sent to shortlisted applicants
• Late September: Deadline for responses to peer review
• Mid-October: Funding committee review (2-day panel)
• Mid-November: Final decisions released

Review Process:

1. Applications undergo peer review
2. Shortlisted applicants receive peer review comments and can respond
3. Funding committee panel of external experts reviews applications, peer reviews, and applicant responses
4. Final decisions made by funding committee

Success Rates

Not publicly disclosed. However, the highly selective nature of the Foundation's approach and limited number of grants awarded annually (typically 5-20 grants per year across all programmes) suggests competition is significant for open calls.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly stated. Given that open calls are thematic and infrequent, reapplication opportunities would depend on future call topics and timing.

Application Success Factors

What Makes a Competitive Application

For Research Grants:

The Foundation evaluates three main areas:

• Proposals should demonstrate originality and ambition
• Clear relevance to the specific call theme
• Rigorous methodology

• Previous research outputs
• Contributions to research community
• Track record appropriate to career stage

• How host institution will support research delivery
• Resources and infrastructure available
• Career development opportunities

Key Criteria for All Grants

“Impressive and measurable impact” is the Foundation's stated requirement. All organisations receiving funding must demonstrate this in one or more primary funding areas.

Personal resonance with trustees: The Foundation explicitly states that trustees fund projects that “resonate with their own interests and life experiences.”

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

Arts (2022-2025):

• Tate Modern: £125,000 for Af Klint & Piet Mondrian exhibition
• National Gallery: £250,000 for After Impressionism exhibition, £300,000 for 2026 exhibitions
• British Museum: £450,000 for exhibitions including China's Hidden Century, £325,000 for Japanese-themed exhibition 2026
• Natural History Museum: £250,000 for Birds: Survivors in a Changing World exhibition
• Royal Academy of Arts: Multiple grants including £200,000 for Painting the French Riviera

Education:

• Teach First: £1.5 million for STEM teacher recruitment in disadvantaged communities
• Teach First: £500,000 for two-year teaching placements in underserved UK schools
• Teach for China: $250,000 for rural school placements
• Teach For All: $250,000 for global network support

Research:

• £10 million programme on digital technology effects on children and young people
• Grants of $2.6 million to nine new research projects
• Multiple early-career fellowships and junior faculty grants

Strategic Tips

1. For invited grants: Build relationships with Foundation staff and trustees through excellence in your field. The Foundation approaches organisations it admires.

1. For research calls: Align closely with the specific theme. Recent focus on digital technology and child development suggests interest in contemporary issues affecting young people.

1. Demonstrate measurable impact: Use concrete metrics and evidence of previous success.

1. Institutional support: Ensure strong backing from your host institution, as this is explicitly evaluated.

1. Career stage alignment: Apply to the appropriate programme tier for your career stage.

1. Plan institutional coordination: For Special Projects, only one application per institution is allowed, requiring internal coordination.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No unsolicited applications accepted outside specific research open calls. Focus on building excellence and reputation in your field to be approached for arts/education funding.

• Highly relationship-driven: The Foundation values long-term partnerships and direct engagement with grant recipients through regular meetings and reporting.

• Scale and ambition: With grants ranging from £15,000 to £8 million, the Foundation supports both targeted projects and major multi-year programmes.

• Research opportunities are thematic and infrequent: When calls open, they focus on specific research questions with substantial budgets (e.g., £10 million for digital technology programme).

• Quality over quantity: The Foundation makes a limited number of grants annually but with significant amounts, suggesting a preference for depth over breadth.

• Geographic specificity: Research programmes limited to UK and US institutions; education programmes include China; arts funding focuses on London.

• Measurable impact is non-negotiable: All funded organisations must demonstrate impressive and measurable outcomes in priority areas.

• Six-month decision timeline for research: Plan ahead for research grant applications with the lengthy review process including peer review and committee evaluation.

References

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). Official Website. https://huofamilyfoundation.org/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). “Grants.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/grants/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). “Funding Opportunities.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/funding-opportunities/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). “Special Projects.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/special-projects/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). “Junior Faculty Research Grants.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/junior-faculty-research-grants/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). “Huo Early-Career Fellowships.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/our-grants/early-career-fellowships/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2025). “Trustees and Team.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/trustees-and-team/trustees/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2024). “The Huo Family Foundation Commits Over $2.6M to Nine New Grants.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/news/updates/the-huo-family-foundation-commits-over-2-6m-to-nine-new-grants/

1. Huo Family Foundation. (2024). “The Huo Family Foundation Awards Eighteen New Grants Totalling £1.7M to the Arts, Education, and Early Career Researchers.” https://huofamilyfoundation.org/news/updates/the-huo-family-foundation-awards-eighteen-new-grants/

1. UK Charity Commission. “HUO FAMILY FOUNDATION (UK) LIMITED - Charity Number 1133206.” https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-details/?regid=1133206

1. Huo, Yan. The Giving Pledge. https://givingpledge.org/pledger?pledgerId=411