Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Trust's stated themes are medical research and translational research, aimed at treatments and cures for diseases without a definite cure, so an organisation whose work sits outside that field is unlikely to fit.
- It states the Midwest as its priority.
- Typical grants fall between $100,000 and $335,000, with a median of $175,000 and half of its grants at $175,000 or less, so a request in that region is realistic.
- Other published sources give up to $350,000 for Catalyst awards and up to $1,000,000 for Transformational awards, though the typical band is not a ceiling.
- Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it has funded before (93% in the most recent filing), so a first-time applicant should make a clear case for how its work matches the stated themes, and should submit Catalyst proposals through the HRiA Award Manager before the June deadline.
Overview
Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, Bank of America N A, in Dallas, TX.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (hria.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 13 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Trust supports medical research aimed at improving treatment and ultimately finding cures for diseases without a definite cure. Its linked awards support high-risk, high-reward translational research across a wide range of clinical disease areas, moving basic-science insights towards solutions, techniques and tools that can reach clinical practice in the near term. The Catalyst Research Award funds preliminary work and lays the foundation for further research; the Transformational Research Award supports successful Catalyst projects as they advance a healthcare innovation towards commercial development. It favours strong translational potential, work addressing critical scientific or therapeutic roadblocks, and teams with the expertise and infrastructure to deliver. It encourages collaborations that bring complementary expertise.
Themes
- Medical research
- Translational research
Geographic Focus
Priority: Midwest.
How to apply
Catalyst proposals are submitted through the HRiA Award Manager.
Deadlines: Applications are due in June.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 93% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 121 grants to organisations were $175,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The application should demonstrate high translational potential. (as reported in other published sources)
- Projects should address a critical scientific or therapeutic roadblock and offer potential for high impact on patients. (as reported in other published sources)
- The investigative team should have the expertise and infrastructure to carry out the project. (as reported in other published sources)
- Collaborations that integrate complementary expertise are an additional positive factor, though not required. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 26%
- The largest single recipient received 9% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 93% of grant dollars went to organisations Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 38 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $176k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Case Western Reserve University · Immunotherapy for b cell$355,8092024 tax year
- Yale University School of Medicine · Making cancer cells look$348,2522024 tax year
- Indiana University · Pim2 modulator-multiple$340,8792024 tax year
- Medical College of Wisconsin · Pain therapy - sensory$334,5832024 tax year
- Thomas Jefferson University · Protacs for targeting brca$333,3332024 tax year
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation · Development of new drug for$331,8732024 tax year
- Board Regents Of University Of Wisconsin · Improve diagnosis of breast$330,4872024 tax year
- Medical College of Wisconsin · New drugs to treat$315,9812024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
Administered by its trustee, Bank of America N A.
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $9,429,324 | $8,040,793 | $166,998,608 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $9,203,651 | $7,805,072 | $187,477,328 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,928,912 | $8,279,791 | $197,198,086 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (312) 828-2055
- Dallas, TX (office of its trustee, Bank of America N A)
Applying to Dr Ralph & Marian Falk Medical Research Trust?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (312) 828-2055
- Dallas, TX (office of its trustee, Bank of America N A)