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The Methuselah Foundation

Annual Giving
$123.3M
Grant Range
$10K - $1.0M

The Methuselah Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~$123.3 million (2023 expenses, includes investments and operations)
  • Total Assets: $21.1 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation-based funding)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $1,000,000+ (historical prizes and grants)
  • Geographic Focus: International
  • Tax Status: 501(c)(3)

Contact Details

Overview

The Methuselah Foundation was founded in 2001 by David Gobel, Dane Gobel, and Aubrey de Grey with the mission to "make 90 the new 50 by 2030." Originally incorporated as the Performance Prize Society, it was rebranded in 2003 to its current name. The Foundation is a non-profit medical charity focused on extending the healthy human lifespan through regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences.

The organization operates with a "mission first and money second" philosophy. Since its founding, the Foundation has given over $4 million in funding for regenerative medicine R&D through grants, prizes, and venture investments. Their 2023 Form 990 showed total revenue of $129.4 million and total expenses of $123.3 million, reflecting significant growth from previous years. The Foundation maintains a high program expense ratio of 84.66%, demonstrating strong commitment to its mission. The organization has partnered with NASA on multiple Centennial Challenges and has helped catalyze an estimated $15 million in organ-banking research through various initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant & Prize Programs

  1. Methuselah Mouse Prize (Mprize): Cash prizes for longevity and rejuvenation breakthroughs in mouse research. Past winners include:

    • Andrzej Bartke (Longevity Prize) - therapy enabling mouse to live 1,819 days
    • Stephen Spindler (Rejuvenation Prize) - calorie restriction achieving 15% life extension
    • Z. Dave Sharp - rapamycin therapy extending life by 9-14%
    • Huber Warner - $10,000 award for founding NIH Interventions Testing Program

  2. New Organ Liver Prize: $1,000,000 prize for bioengineered or regenerative liver therapy enabling large mammal survival for 90+ days without native liver function

  3. NASA Vascular Tissue Challenge: $500,000 prize (in partnership with NASA) - won in 2021 by Team Winston from Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine ($300,000 first place)

  4. Deep Space Food Challenge: Partnership with NASA - $25,000 prizes to 18 U.S. teams in 2021; $1.25 million awarded in 2024 final round

  5. Direct Research Grants:

    • Organovo Partnership (2013): $500,000+ for 3D bioprinting research at Yale, UCSF, and Murdoch Children's Research Institute
    • Albert Einstein College of Medicine: $1 million contribution
    • Oisín Biotechnologies (2024): Grant for fat reduction study in pigs
    • Biomarkers of Aging Consortium (2023): Support for symposium and biomarker database development

Seven Strategic Priority Areas

All funding decisions align with seven core strategies:

  1. New Parts for People - Bioengineered replacement organs, cartilage, bones, and vasculature
  2. Get the Crud Out - Cellular cleanup technologies removing harmful substances and senescent cells
  3. Restore the Rivers - Circulatory system restoration and angiogenesis improvement
  4. Debug the Code - Genomic and epigenetic interventions addressing cellular information degradation
  5. Restock the Shelves - Stem cell restoration and immune system enhancement
  6. Rebuild the Walls - Tissue integrity restoration (skin, fascia, barrier function)
  7. Lust for Life - Quality-of-life improvements (cognition, sensation, physical capability)

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects not aligned with longevity and healthy lifespan extension
  • Work outside regenerative medicine, biotechnology, and life sciences sectors
  • Non-mission-aligned ventures (they explicitly operate "mission first, money second")

Governance and Leadership

Founders & Executive Leadership

  • David Gobel - Co-founder & CEO; philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, inventor, and futurist; one of the first to publicly advance the idea of longevity escape velocity. 2023 compensation: $287,553. "We are pleased to support Oisín Biotechnologies as they pursue this groundbreaking study. Their innovative approach has the potential to redefine therapies for age-related diseases."
  • Dane Gobel - Co-founder; Program Director for Deep Space Food Challenge

Executive Advisors

  • Gary Hudson - Executive Chairman and Co-founder of Oisín Biotechnologies
  • Keith Murphy - Co-founder and CEO of Viscient Biosciences; previously founded Organovo
  • Sergio Ruiz - Co-founder and COO of Turn Biotechnologies; Co-founder of Methuselah Fund

Scientific Advisors

  • Dr. Anthony Atala - Director, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
  • Dr. Gabor Forgacs - Co-founder of Organovo
  • Kevin Perrot - OpenCures founder; SENS Research Foundation co-founder

Research Fellows

  • Maximus Peto - Director of Long Life Labs
  • Danielle Ruiz - Geriatric medical research fellow; CEO of Everest Health Partners

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public grant application process. The Methuselah Foundation operates primarily through:

  1. Invitation-based funding - The Foundation identifies mission-aligned projects through its network of advisors, scientific experts, and portfolio companies
  2. Prize competitions - Open competitive challenges (like the Mprize and NASA partnerships) with specific criteria and registration requirements
  3. Venture investments - Through the Methuselah Fund (M Fund), an LLC subsidiary created in 2017 to incubate and invest in early-stage longevity companies
  4. Fiscal sponsorship - Strategic partnerships with aligned organizations (e.g., Organ Preservation Alliance)

For prize competitions, specific entry requirements and registration processes are published when competitions are active.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on how the Foundation has historically identified and funded projects:

  • Direct contact: Reach out via info@mfoundation.org to introduce mission-aligned research or ventures
  • The 300 donor program: Becoming a member of "The 300" ($25,000 over 25 years, minimum $1,000 annually) provides access to the Foundation's network and community
  • Align with their seven strategies: Projects must clearly connect to one or more of their core strategic areas
  • Scientific advisor network: Several scientific advisors have founded or lead organizations that have received funding; connection through this network appears valuable
  • Sector conferences: The Foundation is active at events like the World Stem Cell Summit, where they have announced major initiatives

Decision Timeline

  • Prize competitions: Typically multi-year with published deadlines
  • Grant awards: Not publicly disclosed; varies based on partnership negotiations
  • Venture investments through M Fund: Process follows typical early-stage investment timelines

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented. For prize competitions, teams may continue competing until deadlines expire or prizes are won.

Application Success Factors

Based on the Foundation's documented activities and statements:

  1. Mission alignment is paramount: The Foundation operates "mission first and money second." All funded work must demonstrably advance the goal of "making 90 the new 50 by 2030."

  2. Innovation and breakthrough potential: As David Gobel stated about Oisín Biotechnologies, they seek approaches with "potential to redefine therapies for age-related diseases."

  3. Connection to their seven strategies: Projects should clearly map to one or more of: New Parts for People, Get the Crud Out, Restore the Rivers, Debug the Code, Restock the Shelves, Rebuild the Walls, or Lust for Life.

  4. Track record of funded areas:

    • 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering (Organovo, Volumetric)
    • Senescent cell clearance (Oisín Biotechnologies)
    • Organ preservation and banking
    • Epigenetic reprogramming (Turn Biotechnologies)
    • Alzheimer's and age-related disease research (Leucadia)

  5. High-risk, high-reward research: The Foundation has historically invested in "innovative projects and high-risk, high-reward endeavors" to accelerate aging science breakthroughs.

  6. Translational potential: Funded projects span from basic research through to clinical applications and startups entering the marketplace.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: The Foundation funds through invitation, prize competitions, and venture investment rather than open grant applications. Direct outreach is required.

  • Strong mission focus: Any approach must demonstrably support "making 90 the new 50 by 2030" - the Foundation's explicitly falsifiable goal.

  • Seven strategic pillars: Frame proposals around their defined strategies (organ regeneration, cellular cleanup, circulatory restoration, genomic interventions, stem cell restoration, tissue integrity, quality of life).

  • Scientific network matters: The Foundation has deep connections to Wake Forest, Stanford, and leading biotech companies in the longevity space. Advisory board connections can facilitate introductions.

  • Prize competitions offer open entry: While direct grants are invitation-only, prize competitions (when active) provide a public pathway to funding.

  • Venture-ready projects welcome: The Methuselah Fund subsidiary specifically invests in early-stage companies - researchers with commercialization potential should explore this pathway.

  • Relationship building first: Contact info@mfoundation.org or connect through The 300 donor program to initiate dialogue before proposing specific projects.

References

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