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The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.7M
Grant Range
$80K - $0.5M
Decision Time
5mo

The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,718,082 (2022)
  • Total Assets: $74,905,954 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Approximately 3-6 months from LOI to decision
  • Grant Range: $80,000 - $500,000 (plus 10% indirect costs)
  • Geographic Focus: National (United States)

Contact Details

Address: 18 North Main Street, West Hartford, Connecticut 06107-1998
Phone: 860.521.9011
Email: office@donaghue.org
Website: https://donaghue.org

Program Manager: Shamira Chappell, MPH (chappell@donaghue.org)
R3 Program: r3@donaghue.org

Overview

The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation was established in 1991 through the will of Ethel Donaghue, who left a charitable trust of more than $50 million in memory of her parents. Based in West Hartford, Connecticut, the foundation has provided $87 million in research grants since its inception. With current total assets of approximately $75 million, the foundation awarded $2.7 million in grants in 2022. The foundation's mission is to fund "medical research of practical benefit," emphasizing research that has near-term potential to be adopted and implemented by policymakers, practitioners, and the public to improve health outcomes. Under the motto "Making Research Relevant & Ready," the foundation particularly focuses on research that addresses healthcare value, quality, and equity.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Greater Value Portfolio: $500,000 maximum (plus 10% indirect costs) over 2 years

  • Two-phase application process: LOI due April 29, full applications due August 15
  • Funds research advancing higher-value healthcare systems
  • Requires partnership with healthcare delivery organizations
  • Online portal submission through webportalapp.com

Another Look: Approximately $150,000 in direct costs over 2 years

  • Two-phase application process: LOI due April 9, full applications due July 15
  • Focuses on improving health for adults 65+ in nursing homes, assisted living, and congregate care facilities
  • Requires use of existing datasets (limited new data collection permitted)
  • Must include stakeholders from clinical, programmatic, or policy areas
  • Total 2025 investment: ~$1.3 million

R3 (Research Relevant & Ready): $80,000 (plus 10% indirect costs) over 18 months

  • Rolling application basis
  • Only open to current and past Donaghue grantees
  • Focuses on scaling, dissemination, and sustainability of previously funded interventions
  • Does NOT fund new research
  • Contact r3@donaghue.org to request information

Priority Areas

  • Healthcare Value Research: Addressing high costs, pricing variations, healthcare disparities, patient financial burden, care inconsistency, and lack of price transparency
  • Long-Term Care Quality: Research improving care and quality of life for older adults in institutional settings
  • Health Equity: Reducing racial, ethnic, gender, and income-based health disparities
  • Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Improving care quality for vulnerable populations
  • Implementation Science: Translating research findings into practice
  • Specific Populations: Individuals with dementia, serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, and underserved communities

What They Don't Fund

  • New research under R3 program: R3 is explicitly for scaling and implementation, not new investigations
  • Applications from non-research institutions: Applicant organizations must be 501(c)(3) tax-exempt research institutions
  • Stakeholder organizations as primary applicants: Healthcare delivery organizations can be partners but not lead applicants
  • Research without stakeholder engagement: Particularly for Another Look, must demonstrate importance to policy/delivery stakeholders
  • Projects without equity considerations: All programs require demonstration that research protocols don't mask or exacerbate health inequities

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

Lynne Garner, PhD (Individual Trustee)

  • Medical sociology doctorate
  • Appointed Individual Trustee in 2008; served as President until retirement in 2021
  • Background in Connecticut Office of Health Care Access, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and Massachusetts Department of Mental Health
  • Member of Health Research Alliance Board of Directors

Amy R. Lynch, JD (Bank of America, Institutional Trustee)

  • Senior Vice President and Philanthropic Client Manager at Bank of America, Private Bank
  • Over 20 years banking experience in fiduciary, legal, probate and tax matters
  • Bachelor's in Biology (Trinity College), Juris Doctor (Western New England School of Law)

Staff

Stacy Cloud (President)

  • 15+ years in philanthropic sector
  • Joined foundation January 2008
  • Responsible for overall operation of foundation programs and developing new initiatives with trustees and research communities
  • Previously Director of Member Services at Connecticut Council for Philanthropy
  • Board member of Health Research Alliance and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving

Quote from Cloud: "We continually evaluate and reexamine the administration of our programs to ensure they are the best reflection of our mission and guiding principles... we have worked with many amazing researchers who share the Foundation's goal of getting research into practice."

Shamira Chappell, MPH (Program Manager)

  • Master of Public Health from UConn Health
  • Joined August 2021
  • Background as scientific research associate at UConn Health and research intern with UConn Health Disparities Institute
  • Former secondary STEM educator

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

All applications follow a two-phase process:

Phase 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)

  • One-page letter describing study purpose and implementation activities
  • Submitted without applicant or institutional identifiers to ensure evaluation based solely on research idea
  • Submitted through online portal at webportalapp.com (email submissions not accepted)
  • LOI deadlines vary by program (see individual program details)

Phase 2: Full Application

  • Only applicants invited after LOI review may submit
  • Submitted through online portal
  • Evaluated by science advisory committees comprising experts in clinical research, public health, policy, and statistical methods

Decision Timeline

  • LOI to invitation: Approximately 2-3 months
  • Full application to decision: Approximately 3-4 months
  • Total timeline: LOI to final decision typically 5-7 months
  • Grant terms typically begin January 1 of the following year

Application Review Process

  • Reviewers per application: Minimum of three
  • Review effort: Approximately 15 person-hours per application before and during committee meetings
  • Evaluation criteria: Scientific merit and potential for real-world impact
  • Feedback: Written reviewer critiques provided to all applicants
  • Final decision: Foundation trustees make funding decisions after considering committee recommendations

Success Rates

Success rates and application numbers are not publicly disclosed by the foundation.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation does not publicly specify restrictions on reapplication. Written feedback is provided to all applicants, which can inform future submissions. For specific guidance on reapplication, contact the Program Manager.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Review Principles

The Donaghue Foundation emphasizes five core values in their review process:

  1. Equitable: Uniform deadline enforcement; same opportunity for all applicants to describe their work
  2. Expertise-based: Reviews using written standards by respected field experts
  3. Transparent: Clear communication about review materials and timelines
  4. Accessible: Support provided throughout the application process
  5. Efficient: Streamlined submission and review procedures

Critical Requirements

Health Equity Mandate: All programs require applicants to demonstrate they have reviewed their "research questions, protocols, sampling, and data analyses to ensure that they do not inadvertently mask or exacerbate racial, ethnic, or gender health inequities." This is not optional language—it is a core evaluation criterion.

Stakeholder Engagement: Particularly for Greater Value Portfolio and Another Look programs, applicants must demonstrate how their research question is important to stakeholders in the policy or delivery arena. For Another Look, research teams must include stakeholders to inform research questions and develop practical products.

Partnership Requirements: Greater Value Portfolio applicants must partner with healthcare delivery organizations. The partner organization cannot be the applicant's own institution, ensuring real-world implementation connections.

Implementation Focus: The foundation consistently emphasizes research with "near-term potential" for adoption. Projects should clearly articulate pathways to practice, not just knowledge generation.

What Makes Applications Stand Out

Focus on Practical Benefit: As President Stacy Cloud notes, the foundation seeks researchers who "share the Foundation's goal of getting research into practice." Applications should clearly articulate how findings will be used, by whom, and when.

Existing Data Utilization: For Another Look, the requirement to use existing datasets is fundamental. The foundation values efficiency and projects that can generate actionable insights without extensive new data collection periods.

Quality of Research Design: With 15 person-hours of expert review per application, scientific rigor is paramount. Proposals must demonstrate methodological excellence appropriate to the research question.

Blinded LOI Review: Since LOIs are evaluated without institutional or applicant identifiers, the research idea itself must be compelling, clearly articulated, and well-justified on its own merits.

Recent Funded Projects as Examples

2024-2025 Another Look Grantees:

  • Natalia Festa, MD, MHS (Yale University): "Investigating Post-Disaster Outcomes for Rural Nursing Home Residents"
  • Norma Coe (University of Pennsylvania): Research on nursing home care models ($93,559)
  • Ellis Dillon and Julie Robison (UConn Health Center): Hospice utilization improvement ($155,004)

2025 R3 Grantee:

  • Thomas Gallagher, MD (University of Washington): "Expanding CRPs for Senior Living Communities"

These examples demonstrate the foundation's interest in policy-relevant research addressing vulnerable populations, health equity, and implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Implementation is paramount: Donaghue funds research "of practical benefit" with near-term adoption potential. Every proposal must clearly articulate pathways from findings to practice change.

  • Health equity is non-negotiable: All applications must explicitly address how research design prevents masking or exacerbating health disparities. This goes beyond boilerplate language to substantive methodological considerations.

  • The LOI matters enormously: With blinded review of one-page LOIs, the research concept must be immediately compelling and clearly articulated. Institution prestige won't help at this stage.

  • Stakeholder engagement is expected: Particularly for Another Look and Greater Value Portfolio, research teams should include practitioners, policymakers, or delivery system representatives, not just academics.

  • Use your 15 hours wisely: Knowing that each application receives approximately 15 person-hours of expert review should shape proposal development. Reviewers will dig deep—surface-level proposals won't succeed.

  • Transparency and accessibility: The foundation emphasizes being "accessible throughout the application process." Don't hesitate to contact Program Manager Shamira Chappell with questions before applying.

  • R3 is for alumni only: If you've never received Donaghue funding, start with Greater Value Portfolio or Another Look. R3's rolling basis and focus on scaling make it an attractive next step for successful grantees.

References

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