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Biswas Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.0M
Grant Range
$1000K - $12.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $35,000 (2023 tax filing) - Note: Major grant commitments of $15+ million announced in 2024
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $1 million - $12 million (based on recent awards)
  • Geographic Focus: National (US research institutions)
  • Application Type: Invitation only / No public application process

Contact Details

Website: https://www.biswasfamilyfoundation.org/
Contact Page: https://www.biswasfamilyfoundation.org/connect
Location: San Francisco, CA
EIN: 92-1348652

Overview

The Biswas Family Foundation was established in 2023 by Sanjit Biswas and Dr. Hope Biswas with the mission to "accelerate science to transform global health by supporting groundbreaking research and innovative programs that translate to scalable health benefits for millions worldwide." The foundation focuses on the intersection of emerging technology and global health, particularly computational biology and artificial intelligence. In March 2024, the foundation announced $15 million in funding through its Transformative Computational Biology Grant Program, developed in partnership with the Milken Institute's Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC). Recipients included research teams at MIT, Stanford University, Harvard Medical School, Gladstone Institutes, and Arc Institute. The foundation has also committed $12 million to establish the Biswas Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at MIT, launching in 2026.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Transformative Computational Biology Grant Program (launched 2024)

  • Grant amounts: Up to $5 million per project
  • Duration: Typically 2 years
  • Developed in partnership with Milken Institute SPARC
  • First cycle awarded $15 million total to five research teams
  • Application method: Invitation only through Milken Institute SPARC

Biswas Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at MIT (launching 2026)

  • Fellowship amount: 4-year fellowships with $90k/year starting salary plus full MIT employee benefits
  • Five fellowships awarded annually for four years
  • Total commitment: $12 million initial funding
  • Application deadline: February 1, 2026 (for first cohort)
  • Open application process for qualified postdoctoral candidates

Priority Areas

The foundation supports research and programs in:

Foundational Research:

  • Computational biology approaches
  • Foundational models and tool development
  • Systems biology research on disease mechanisms
  • Large open datasets

Translational Applications:

  • Artificial intelligence in clinical healthcare settings
  • Healthcare delivery advancement
  • Improved diagnostics
  • Clinical care support
  • Drug repurposing systems

Global Health Impact:

  • Low-cost diagnostics
  • Nanoscale therapeutics
  • Community health worker empowerment
  • Removing barriers to disease screening and prevention
  • Women's health
  • Neuroscience

Cross-disciplinary Innovation:

  • Convergence of life sciences with economics, business, policy, or humanities
  • Science communication and public understanding
  • Broader participation in scientific fields

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. Current funding opportunities for research are closed. The foundation expects funded projects to use no more than 15% of funds to support indirect costs, infrastructure, or similar charges.

Governance and Leadership

Founders:

Sanjit Biswas - Co-founder of the Biswas Family Foundation

  • CEO and co-founder of Samsara (founded to increase safety, efficiency, and sustainability of global operations)
  • Previously co-founded Meraki, a cloud-networking company acquired by Cisco
  • Education: BS from Stanford, SM from MIT
  • Recognized as MIT Tech Review "Innovator Under 35" and World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer
  • Quote: "Today's rapid advances in AI and computation are leading to a new era of scientific discovery."
  • Vision: "We were kind of thinking about this on a multi-decade timeframe... where could this project go? And it could help improve the lives of millions of people."

Dr. Hope Biswas - Co-founder of the Biswas Family Foundation

  • PhD in Epidemiology from UC Berkeley
  • Infectious disease epidemiologist with expertise in dengue virus infection
  • Former Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the CDC
  • Former Adjunct Assistant Professor at Emory University
  • Education: Degrees from Wellesley College, Johns Hopkins, and UC Berkeley
  • Quote: "What excites me about computational biology is it can be applied to many different areas."
  • Quote: "We are proud to support outstanding postdoctoral scholars focused on high-impact cross-disciplinary work."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process for most grant programs.

The foundation's website states: "All funding opportunities for research are currently closed, and the Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals."

Exception: MIT Biswas Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

  • Open application process for qualified candidates
  • Application deadline: February 1, 2026 (for first cohort)
  • Eligibility: Postdoctoral applicants with no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience
  • Requirement: Must have identified and secured commitment from a faculty host prior to applying
  • Application portal: https://heals.mit.edu/biswas-fellows/

How Grants Are Typically Awarded: The foundation develops grant programs through strategic partnerships (such as with Milken Institute SPARC) that manage the full cycle of grant processes, including:

  • Developing and distributing funding announcements
  • Scientific vetting
  • Recruiting advisory boards
  • Managing grant agreement execution

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation conducts comprehensive field reviews to identify priority areas before launching grant programs. They partnered with the Milken Institute SPARC in 2023 to review the computational biology field and identify philanthropic opportunities, which resulted in the Transformative Computational Biology Grant Program.

Specific strategies for this funder:

  • Subscribe to their mailing list: The foundation recommends subscribing at biswasfamilyfoundation.org for updates about future application opportunities
  • Monitor Milken Institute SPARC announcements: The foundation partners with SPARC to manage grant programs in computational biology and AI/health
  • Connect through contact page: Organizations leveraging science and technology for global health impact can reach out via biswasfamilyfoundation.org/connect
  • Build presence in computational biology/AI health community: The foundation identifies research teams through field reviews and scientific convenings organized by partners like SPARC

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. The foundation operates on a program-by-program basis, with grant cycles managed through partner organizations like Milken Institute SPARC.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The first cycle of the Transformative Computational Biology Grant Program selected five research teams from an undisclosed applicant pool.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed. Given that the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals and operates through invitation-only grant cycles, reapplication would depend on future program announcements.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's funded projects and stated priorities, the following factors appear to be critical:

Scale of Impact: Sanjit Biswas emphasized thinking "on a multi-decade timeframe" about projects that "could help improve the lives of millions of people." The foundation explicitly states it supports work "to improve human health at the scale of millions to billions of people."

Translational Potential: All five initial Transformative Computational Biology grants focus on research with clear pathways to clinical application. Hope Biswas noted excitement about computational biology because "it can be applied to many different areas."

Computational Biology and AI Integration: Recent funded projects demonstrate preference for:

  • Machine learning and AI models in clinical settings
  • Integration of single-cell and spatial sequencing data
  • Computational approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment
  • Large-scale dataset development and analysis

Examples of Recently Funded Projects (2024):

  1. MIT - Manolis Kellis, PhD: AI for Genomic Medicine integrating single-cell and spatial sequencing ($1 million over 2 years)
  2. Stanford - Anshul Kundaje, PhD: AI chatbot for genetic diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases ($1 million over 2 years)
  3. Gladstone Institutes - Katherine Pollard, PhD: Biswas Center for Transformative Computational Cancer Biology ($5 million)
  4. Harvard Medical School - Pranav Rajpurkar, PhD: MAIDA Initiative for global medical imaging data sharing ($1 million over 2 years)
  5. Harvard Medical School - Marinka Zitnik, PhD: CURE-Bench for drug repurposing ($1 million over 2 years)

Interdisciplinary Approach: The MIT fellowship program seeks "bilingual researchers" who can work across interdisciplinary boundaries, including convergence with economics, business, policy, or humanities.

Field-Building Potential: The foundation partners with organizations like SPARC to facilitate collaboration, drive scientific consensus, and host scientific convenings beyond just funding individual projects.

Cost Efficiency: The foundation expects projects to limit indirect costs to no more than 15% of funds, indicating preference for research-focused budgets.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited proposals accepted: This foundation operates through invitation-only grant cycles and strategic partnerships. Traditional grant applications are not accepted.

  • Scale matters most: The Biswases think on "multi-decade timeframes" and explicitly seek research that will impact "millions to billions" of people. Projects must demonstrate potential for massive global health impact.

  • Computational biology + AI focus is paramount: All recent grants center on computational approaches, machine learning, and AI applications in healthcare. Projects outside this intersection are unlikely to be considered.

  • Partner organizations are the gateway: Monitor Milken Institute SPARC and similar organizations that manage grant programs on behalf of the foundation. Being known in these networks is essential.

  • Translational research preferred: The foundation emphasizes moving discoveries from laboratory to clinical settings. Pure basic research without clear translational pathways may be less competitive.

  • Keep indirect costs low: The 15% cap on indirect costs suggests the foundation wants maximum dollars going directly to research, not institutional overhead.

  • MIT postdoctoral fellowship is the one open opportunity: If you're an early-career researcher (within 12 months of PhD) working on AI/health, low-cost diagnostics, or interdisciplinary health research, the MIT Biswas Fellowship offers a direct application pathway starting February 2026.

References

  1. Biswas Family Foundation official website - https://www.biswasfamilyfoundation.org/ (Accessed January 2026)

  2. "Biswas Family Foundation, Milken Institute Announce $15 Million in Funding for Research at the Intersection of AI and Health" - Milken Institute, March 2024 - https://milkeninstitute.org/article/biswas-family-foundation-funding-ai-health-research

  3. "Biswas Family Foundation Transformative Computational Biology Grant Awardees" - Milken Institute - https://milkeninstitute.org/content-hub/news-releases/biswas-family-foundation-transformative-computational-biology-grant-awardees

  4. "New postdoctoral fellowship program to accelerate innovation in health care" - MIT News, July 2025 - https://news.mit.edu/2025/new-postdoctoral-fellowship-program-accelerate-innovation-health-care-0707

  5. "$5 Million Grant Bets on Computational Biology, AI to Change the Future of Cancer" - Gladstone Institutes, 2024 - https://gladstone.org/news/5-million-grant-bets-computational-biology-ai-change-future-cancer

  6. "Visionary Philanthropists Establish Center to Harness Computational Biology for Cancer Research" - Gladstone Institutes - https://gladstone.org/news/visionary-philanthropists-establish-center-harness-computational-biology-cancer-research

  7. Biswas Family Foundation Founders page - https://www.biswasfamilyfoundation.org/about/founders (Accessed January 2026)

  8. Biswas Family Foundation Funded Research - https://www.biswasfamilyfoundation.org/science/funded-research (Accessed January 2026)

  9. Biswas Family Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (EIN 92-1348652) - https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/921348652

  10. MIT HEALS Biswas Fellows page - https://heals.mit.edu/biswas-fellows/ (Accessed January 2026)

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