Elsevier Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Elsevier Foundation’s grants focus on the relationship between technology and health; science research; global development and health; women and girls; and climate change.
IP TAKE: This funder invests in grantmaking through a technological lens. Its programs are clearly stated and outline health, research, and STEM interests at both the national and global levels. Depending on the program, both individuals and organizations may be eligible for grants.
For many programs, especially for chemistry-related climate change giving, the foundation has a concise online process for accepting proposals. In addition, Elsevier has an employee matching program, which it funds as a more modest level; however, this may be another avenue for getting on the foundation’s radar and getting a grant. Whatever your project may look like, it must have a technology component or it’s unlikely you’ll get a grant.
Note that Elsevier’s corporate sister is increasingly working with the fossil fuel industry through research to undermine climate change mitigation.
PROFILE: Established in 2005, the Elsevier Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Elsevier, a global information analytics company specializing in science and health. The foundation, headquartered in Amsterdam, “[s]upports partnerships to advance diversity in science research in developing countries and global health.” Grantmaking programs include Health & Innovation, Research in Developing Countries, and Diversity in STM.
The Elsevier Foundation conducts grantmaking through a technological lens. From its global development work to its health grantmaking, the foundation is interested in how technology and science are applied to various questions of need. So it’s no surprise that the foundation’s work filters through this relationship.
Grants for Women, Science Research and STEM Education
The foundation’s Diversity in STM program works to encourage “STM careers among young people from communities that have severely limited educational resources and few professional role models is a particular challenge.” To do so, the foundation has expanded it’s focus on helping women advance in science by including new partnerships helping under-served youth receive greater exposure to science and health education in Amsterdam, London and New York.
Past grantees in the women’s empowerment space include Portia, which received funding for its work adopting “[g]ender sensitive approaches,” in innovation and development; and GenderInSite, which received a grant for its work promoting the role of women in science, technology, and engineering.
Grants for Global Development and Global Health
This funder invests in development groups that work in or address developing and least-developed countries. As a technology driven foundation, Elsevier believes that “information technology can significantly advance the delivery of healthcare in developing countries, addressing problems such as the high risk of maternal death across Africa and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.” The foundation, in keeping with its corporate arm, partners with organizations that directly fund organizations “working to improve health outcomes in underserved communities through the innovative use of health information.”
Elsevier Foundation conducts global development grantmaking through its Technology for Development program, which supports “[p]rojects enabling data scientists to contribute their skills to tackle some of the toughest issues outlined by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.” It also conducts global development work, focused on health, through its Health & Innovation program, which invests organizations “[w]orking to improve health outcomes in developing countries.”
Past global development and health grantees include Doctors without Borders, which received funding for its work helping improve medical practices in Nigeria; and AMREF Health, which received a grant for its mobile nursing education programs throughout Eastern Africa. The latter received other funding for its work connecting African entrepreneurs with international investors is a past global development grantee.
Grants for the Climate Change
Note that despite it’s visible corporate comittment to mitigating climate change, Elsevier actively engages in research that undermines climate change mitigation. It appears much of Elsevier’s grantmaking in this space is an extension of it’s corporate greenwashing marketing campaign to bolster it’s corporate image despite several scientists and researchers who have sounded alarms internally.
In support of the environment, the Elsevier Foundation offers a separate science research award, focuses on the relationship between sustainable chemistry and green solutions. Every July, the Elsevier Foundation-ISC3 Green & Sustainable Chemistry Challenge opens for submissions. The prize invests in both individuals and organizations whose projects use “green and sustainable chemistry solutions to tackle some of the developing world’s greatest sustainability challenge.” Winners are announced at the foundation’s Green & Sustainable Chemistry Conference. Scientific prizes offer €50,000, with €25,000 for the second place prize.
Entrepreneurial prizes offer an additional €25,000 for the “Entrepreneurial Spirit in Sustainable Chemistry Award”. This prize works to highlight entrepreneurs with “promising innovations and evaluates them in terms of market potential, business models, technological innovation and impact.” Interested grantseekers can learn more about the prize on the ISC3 website. Note that the application process for the Entrepreneurial Prize (the 3rd prize) does not differ from the application process for the Scientific Prizes (the 1st and 2nd prize).
All applications must be submitted via the same platform; however, proposals can be submitted only one prize or the other, not both. The Elsevier Foundation the Skild Knowledgebase platform for handling the application proposals. Read platform-related FAQs here. For additional questions regarding the Chemistry Challenge, grant seekers may write to chemistry.challenge@elsevier.com.
Other:
The Elsevier Foundation also matches gifts through its employee-led giving program. In 2018, the foundation listed $102,947 in employee matching gifts.
Important Grant Details:
Elsevier grants range widely from $5,000 to over $1 million. The majority of grants fall in the $5,000 to $100,000 range. Click here to learn more about a few of the types of global health organizations Elsevier supports.
According to tax filings, the Elsevier Foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications and requests for funding, however; its application, eligibility and proposal requirements are unclear. Grantseekers should contact foundation staff for more information.
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