Southern Research Institute
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO OFFER RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE LIFE SCIENCES, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INDUSTRIES. THE ORGANIZATION PURSUES ENTREPRENEURIAL AND COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVES TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A PIPELINE OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH OF THE ORGANIZATION AND POSITIVELY IMPACT REAL-WORLD PROBLEMS.
- Income
- $50.4 million
- Spending
- $49.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 70%
- Reserves
- 16.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 60%
- Employees
- 267
- Volunteers
- 10
- Highest pay
- $900,706, interim director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 16.7 months of spending.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 24% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 1% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 1% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1570% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 92 out of 100. Higher than 33% of charities in its peer group (science, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2510 of 14 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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 (4)
- $17.7 million spent. SCIENTIFIC PLATFORMS HAS ACCOMPLISHED INNOVATIVE RESEARCH IN THE AREAS OF CANCER, INFECTIOUS DISEASE, AND NEUROSCIENCE. WITH A FOCUS ON THE DISCOVERY OF NEW, SMALL-MOLECULE THERAPEUTICS AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THESE MOLECULES WORK, DRUG DISCOVERY CARRIES OUT TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE DESIGNED TO INVENT SMALL MOLECULES AND ADVANCE THEM FROM THE DESIGN STAGE TO THE CLINIC. GOVERNMENT FUNDING SUPPORTS OUR EFFORTS IN PIONEERING NEW SCIENTIFIC AREAS OF DRUG DISCOVERY. THE SCIENTIFIC PLATFORMS' STAFF PROVIDES EXPERTISE IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, BIOCHEMISTRY, AND HIGH-THROUGHPUT SCREENING TECHNOLOGIES, ALL FOCUSED ON MAKING DISCOVERIES THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVING HUMAN HEALTH. THE SCIENTIFIC PLATFORMS' TEAM HAS BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN ITS EFFORTS AND HAS DISCOVERED MORE THAN 20 DRUGS THAT HAVE ENTERED CLINICAL TRIALS AND SIX DRUGS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR USE IN THE TREATMENT OF CANCER.
- $13.8 million spent. CRO SERVICES PROVIDES DRUG DISCOVERY AND PRE-CLINICAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT TO PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGY ON AN OUTSOURCED BASIS. SOUTHERN RESEARCH INSTITUTE HAS CAPABILITIES IN ALL PHASES OF THE EARLY-STAGE DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND PROVIDES CLIENTS WITH COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO ASSIST THEM IN STREAMLINING THEIR CUSTOM DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. SOME OF SOUTHERN RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S SIGNIFICANT PRE-CLINICAL RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: DEMONSTRATED THE EFFICACY OF COMBINATION CHEMOTHERAPY IN MICE, LEADING THE WAY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES WITH IMPROVED CLINICAL OUTCOMES IN CERTAIN CANCERS, PERFORMED PRE-CLINICAL DRUG DEVELOPMENT EVALUATIONS AND ANALYSES ON APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THE FDA-APPROVED CANCER THERAPEUTICS CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET, AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST DRUG DELIVERY TECHNOLOGY FOR THE EXTENDED RELEASE OF SYNTHETIC AGENTS THAT PROMOTE THE TREATMENT OF PROSTATE CANCER.
- $666,467 spent. SOUTHERN RESEARCH'S STEM EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAM IS INVOLVED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN ALABAMA. THE MISSION OF SR'S STEM PROGRAM IS TO ENHANCE 6TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE STEM EDUCATION BY DRAWING UPON THE EXPERTISE AND SCHOLARLY CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN RESEARCH COMMUNITY. WE AIM TO DEFINE AND EXEMPLIFY EFFECTIVE STEM EDUCATION TO MAXIMIZE STUDENTS' READINESS TO EXCEL IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. WE ARE WORKING TO ACHIEVE OUR EDUCATION MISSION BY ENGAGING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN STEM ACTIVITIES THROUGH SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAMS, FIELD TRIPS, AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMING, STEM COMPETITIONS AND SCIENCE FAIRS, INTERNSHIPS, AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR STEM EDUCATORS. OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IS TO EMBOLDEN STUDENTS WHO POSSESS A PASSION FOR INNOVATION AND DISCOVERY TO PURSUE THEIR INTERESTS AND STRENGTHEN THE STEM COMMUNITY. SOUTHERN RESEARCH IS COMMITTED TO FOSTERING CREATIVITY AND IMPACTING THE FUTURE GENERATION.
- $2.7 million spent. CATALYST BY SOUTHERN RESEARCH IS A UNIQUE PUBLIC HEALTH DATA SYSTEM THAT CONNECTS PATIENT GENOMES (AND OTHER FORMS OF PERSONALIZED MEDICAL DATA, POTENTIALLY INCLUDING TRANSCRIPTOMICS, PROTEOMICS, METABOLOMICS AND OTHERS) TO CLINICAL DATA TO SUPPORT THE HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES. SR WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS GOAL BY INVESTING INFRASTRUCTURE TO (A) EXPAND ACCESS TO PERSONALIZED MEDICINE IN ALABAMA, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED AREAS OF THE STATE; (B) ENSURE ALABAMIANS HAVE MORE EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTICS DATA TO IDENTIFY AND TREAT UNDERLYING CONDITIONS AND UNDETECTED CO-MORBIDITIES THAT PROVED FATAL FOR MANY ALABAMIANS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC; AND (C) ENABLE GREATER ACCESS TO CLINICAL TRIALS THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THE CATALYST PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE AND PROVIDE ADDITIOANL PREVENTATIVE CARE OPTIONS TO ALABAMIANS BY (1) EMPOWERING INDIVIDUAL WITH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR HEALTH; (2) CONNECTING CLINICAL AND GENOMIC DATA WITH LOCAL HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS; AND (3) ENCOURAGING PARTICIPATION IN PROMISING RESEARCH VIA TARGETED CLINICAL TRIALS.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 October 13, 2026.
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 November 6, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 1945.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.