Annual Report

The year 2025 presented significant challenges for the biomedical research and STEM communities. Reductions in federal funding, mounting pressures on academic institutions, and increasing complexity in how science is communicated and understood shaped the environment in which our grantees operate.

In this context, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund remained focused and resolute. We continued to champion the values that define our work—scientific rigor, creativity, fairness, and opportunity—by investing not only in programs, but in people. We support individuals we believe will shape the future through their discoveries and through their engagement with a community that now spans more than 70 years.

Our approach is grounded in partnership. We do not see ourselves solely as funders, but as thought partners and collaborators—committed to listening, learning, and adapting alongside the scientists, educators, and leaders we support. That philosophy informed our work across both longstanding programs and newer initiatives.

In 2025, we sustained our investment in early-career scientists at pivotal moments, particularly during the transition to independence, as traditional funding sources became more constrained. At the same time, we advanced new efforts such as the Climate + Health Excellence Centers, reflecting our belief that today’s most pressing challenges require integrated approaches—linking discovery science, education, workforce development, and pathways to policy impact.

We also deepened our commitment to health equity through convenings, partnerships, and applied work that brings research closer to the communities it serves. Central to this effort is a continued emphasis on science communication as a two-way exchange.

This report reflects the talent, dedication, and leadership of our grantees and partners. I am grateful to them, and to our Board and staff, whose stewardship and insight continue to guide the Fund’s work. Together, we remain focused on advancing science in the service of human health at a moment when that commitment is more important than ever.

Louis J. Muglia, MD, PhD
President and CEO
Burroughs Wellcome Fund