The Richard Lounsbery Foundation is a

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

organization located in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1959, to enhance national strengths in science and technology (in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

) and to foster strong Franco-American cooperation. The foundation supports research projects, science education, key scientific policy issues, and others.

History

The foundation was set up from the Lounsbery family's wealth which derived from the business activities of James Ben Ali Haggin, grandson of

Ibrahim Ben Ali Ibrahim ben Ali () or after baptism Ibraham Adam Ben Ali (1756–1800), was an Ottoman-Turkish soldier and physician who first drew notice as a convert-friend of the Dublin Methodist theologian Adam Clarke, and after spending time with the minis ...

and the grandfather of Richard Lounsbery. It was founded in 1959 and has had charitable status since 1960. In 1967, after Richard Lounsbery's death, Vera Lounsbery, Richard Lounsbery's wife, and the family attorney, Alan F. McHenry, established the goals of the foundation. McHenry became the first president of the foundation in 1980. McHenry's son, Richard, currently serves on the foundation's board of directors.

Leadership

Board of Directors

Mission

The Richard Lounsbery Foundation aims to enhance national strengths in science and technology through support of programs in the following areas: research that connects groups outside the US and American science; joint international research between nations in conflict; science and technology components of US policy issues; elementary and secondary science and math education, especially in New York City and Washington DC; historical studies and contemporary assessments of key trends in the natural sciences; and start-up assistance for establishing the infrastructure of research projects or new fields of research. Among international initiatives, the Foundation has a long-standing priority in French-American cooperation. The Foundation generally provides seed money or partial support, rarely renews grants for continuing activities, does not normally fund endowments or capital equipment, and aims to achieve high impact by funding novel projects and forward-looking leaders. The foundation takes a special interest in cooperative activities between French and American scholars. It may have been the first philanthropic organization to fund the

Wikimedia Foundation The Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (WMF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, and registered there as foundation (United States law), a charitable foundation. It is the host of Wikipedia, th ...

. A prospective Lounsbery grant in late 2004 accelerated Wikimedia to get US Internal Revenue Service approval as an educational foundation in April 2005. The foundation's largest and most frequent grantees include the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...

, U.S. National Academy of Sciences,

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education (IIE) is an American 501(c) non-profit organization that focuses on international student exchange and aid, foreign affairs, and international peace and security. IIE creates programs of study and training ...

, French Académie des Sciences
U.S. Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars
and th
Center for the Study of the Presidency & Congress

Awards and grants

Awards supported by the foundation include: * The

Richard Lounsbery Award The Richard Lounsbery Award is given to American and French scientists, 45 years or younger, in recognition of "extraordinary scientific achievement in biology and medicine." The Award alternates between French and American scientists, and is a ...

in biology or medicine. The Richard Lounsbery Award is an annual prize given to young (aged 45 and below) French and American scientists to recognize extraordinary scientific achievement in biology and medicine. It is administered in alternate years by the National Academy of Sciences and the French Académie des sciences. In addition to honoring scientific excellence, the Award is intended to stimulate research and encourage reciprocal scientific exchanges between the United States and France. The Richard Lounsbery Award was established by Vera Lounsbery in memory of her husband, Richard Lounsbery, in 1978.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://rlounsbery.org Scientific foundations based in the United States Foundations based in Washington, D.C.