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Research America

EIN 52-1609875 · Arlington, VA

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair54 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

2025 WAS A TURBULENT YEAR FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH RESEARCH COMMUNITY, BUT OUR COMMITMENT TO ADVOCATING FOR SCIENCE NEVER WAVERED. FROM PUSHING BACK AGAINST FUNDING THREATS TO ELEVATING RESEARCHERS' VOICES AND EQUIPPING ADVOCATES, WE KEPT SCIENCE VISIBLE. OUR WORK IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF OUR 300+ MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMITTED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PART OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. OUR VISION TO ACHIEVE THE FASTEST POSSIBLE PACE OF MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRESS IS ADVANCED BY OUR STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO OUR MISSION OF ADVOCACY FOR THE RESEARCH CONTINUUM.

Income
$8.9 million
Spending
$9.4 million
Spent on programs
83%
Reserves
0.3 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 96%
Employees
41
Volunteers
60
Highest pay
$652,740, president & chief executive officer

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 54 out of 100.

  • Reserves

    4 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 0.3 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 20% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    4 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 5% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 16% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    83% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 8 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100.

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    32 of 33 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (7)
  1. $2.7 million spent. ADVOCATING FOR SCIENCE, DISCOVERY, AND INNOVATION TO ACHIEVE BETTER HEALTH FOR ALL:THE RESEARCH!AMERICA ALLIANCE IS A DRIVING FORCE IN ADVOCATING WITH ONE VOICE TO REPRESENT THE R&D ECOSYSTEM. WE ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR OUR NATION'S MEDICAL, HEALTH AND SCIENTIFIC R&D FOCUSED FEDERAL AGENCIES. WE WORK WITH OUR MEMBERS AND INDIVIDUAL ADVOCATES TO ENCOURAGE CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO SUPPORT FAST-PACED MEDICAL PROGRESS AND ADVANCES IN PUBLIC HEALTH. OUR PACE IN 2025 WAS RELENTLESS: 54 CONGRESSIONAL MEETINGS, 36 ALLIANCE DISCUSSIONS, 31 NEW POLICY AND ADVOCACY RESOURCES, 11 LETTERS TO THE ADMINISTRATION, AND MUCH MORE.
  2. $2.1 million spent. AMERICANS FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN:IN LIGHT OF UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES TO FEDERALLY-FUNDED MEDICAL RESEARCH IN 2025, RESEARCH!AMERICA, WITH SUPPORT FROM OVER 20 SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND MANY FOUNDATIONS, LED A PUBLIC EDUCATION AND AWARENESS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN: AMERICANS FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH. LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER, THE CAMPAIGN WAS ACTIVE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND IN FOUR STATES: KANSAS, NORTH CAROLINA, PENNSYLVANIA AND UTAH. THE CAMPAIGN GENERATED OVER 6 MILLION VIEWS OF ADS AND 340,000 VISITS TO THE WEBSITE. THE SCIENCE SOCIETY PARTNERS HELPED TO FIND DOZENS OF STORIES FROM PATIENTS, RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS IMPACTED BY CUTS TO NIH. SOME MADE THEIR WAY INTO OP-EDS, OTHERS DREW ATTENTION ON THE RESEARCH!AMERICA WEBSITE.
  3. $1.3 million spent. BOLSTERING OUR NATION'S R&D CAPACITY:THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ACTION COMMITTEE (STAC) CONTINUED TO BRING TOGETHER NONPROFIT, ACADEMIC, FOUNDATION, AND CORPORATE LEADERS FOR THOUGHT LEADERSHIP TO DRAMATICALLY STRENGTHEN U.S. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. IN FEBRUARY 2025, STAC RELEASED THE VISION FOR AMERICAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO UNITE THE COMMUNITY IN MAKING THE CASE FOR A CLEAR VISION AND ACTIONABLE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A SUPERCHARGED AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC ENTERPRISE. STAC ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO PUSH BACK AGAINST DRASTIC PROPOSED CUTS IN FY26 FUNDING FOR FEDERAL SCIENCE PROGRAMS.
  4. $670,600 spent. GLOBAL HEALTH R&D INITIATIVE:RESEARCH!AMERICA IS ADVANCING ADVOCACY TO PROTECT AND STRENGTHEN U.S. GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (GH R&D) THROUGH NON-OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE (NON-ODA) FUNDING. THE INITIATIVE DELIVERABLES FOCUS ON FUNDING FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASE R&D. PROTECTING TOPLINE FUNDING FOR NIH, MAKING THE CASE FOR THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NIH'S ROLE IN INFECTIOUS DISEASE RESEARCH AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES (NIAID), AND WORKING TO PREVENT THE ELIMINATION OF THE FOGARTY INTERNATIONAL CENTER (FIC) ARE KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE INITIATIVE.
  5. $419,966 spent. ADVOCACY PROGRAMS:WE ANNUALLY HOST SEVERAL PARTNER PROGRAMS EACH YEAR, HIGHLIGHTING OUR CONVENING POWER AND ABILITY TO IDENTIFY AND FOCUS ATTENTION ON TIMELY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY TOPICS. IN 2025, THE NATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH FORUM PROVIDED PARTICIPANTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE THAT PROVIDED ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS AND FOSTERED COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS INTO CRITICAL HEALTH AND SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGES FACING THE COUNTRY.IN 2025, WE WERE PLEASED TO INCREASE OUR FOCUS ON IN-PERSON CONGRESSIONAL BRIEFINGS. ONE OF THE PROGRAMS INCLUDED AN EXPERT PANEL ASSEMBLED TO DISCUSS THE SCIENCE BEHIND GENETICALLY TARGETED TECHNOLOGY AND THE EXTRAORDINARY CAPABILITY IT HOLDS TO ADDRESS URGENT UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS. OUR 2025 PROGRAMMING FEATURED EXPERT PANELISTS, REMARKS FROM CONGRESSIONAL CHAMPIONS, AS WELL AS NEW INFOGRAPHIC RESOURCES FOR CONGRESSIONAL STAFF AND ADVOCATES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO A CONTINUED EDUCATIONAL PRESENCE ON THE HILL IN 2026.
  6. $407,494 spent. SCIENCE OUTREACH AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT:EARLY CAREER SCIENTISTS ARE INCREASINGLY MOTIVATED TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. OUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT MICROGRANT PROGRAM, NOW IN ITS 8TH YEAR, HAS BEEN PART OF THIS IMPORTANT TREND THANKS TO FOUNDATION SUPPORT. IN 2025, WE PROVIDED 24 MICROGRANTS TO EARLY CAREER STEMM GROUPS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. IN NOVEMBER, WE LAUNCHED THE 2025-2026 CYCLE AND RECEIVED A RECORD-SETTING 132 APPLICATIONS, A 22% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR. WE ALSO COMPLETED A SUCCESSFUL FIRST YEAR OF A NEW CIVIC SCIENCE OPPORTUNITY - THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT CONTENT AWARDS, FOCUSED ON THE CREATION OF OPEN-ACCESS CURRICULA IN SKILLS NEEDED FOR EFFECTIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. WE PROVIDED 11 AWARDS OF UP TO $5,000 EACH AND RELEASED THE INNOVATIVE TRAINING CONTENT ON RESEARCH!AMERICA'S WEBSITE.
  7. $231,083 spent. OTHER PROGRAMS

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since June 1989.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

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