Foundation for Biomedical Research
Foundation for Biomedical Research is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that educates the public, policymakers, and research institutions on the role of ethical animal research in medical breakthroughs, funded by individual donations and corporate sponsorships and based in Washington, DC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Foundation for Biomedical Research does
Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that serves as the leading advocacy and education voice supporting the role of humane, ethical animal research in medical breakthroughs for both humans and companion animals. The organization was established in the early 1980s and operates today with 1–10 employees, relying entirely on individual donations and corporate sponsorship with no government funding.
FBR's "product" surface is a portfolio of advocacy and educational programs rather than commercial offerings. Core programs include the Making Medicine campaign (explaining how animal research produces medicines and vaccines), FBR Real Pet Stories (a blog series linking veterinary treatments back to animal research), the DeBakey Journalism Awards, the Love Animals? Support Animal Research initiative, the Animal Research: Unlocking Medical Miracles editorial series, COVID-19 resource materials, and a polling and research initiative run in partnership with Ardelis Health that surveys 2,600 U.S. adults and 300 professionals. FBR also produces video content and distributes the SmartBrief newsletter, with distribution concentrated on its own website (fbresearch.org) and major social platforms (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram).
FBR's business model is donation-driven: tax-deductible individual giving, corporate sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies (Takeda, AbbVie, AstraZeneca), and a pet-story sponsorship program. It partners with the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR) on policy, with AAALAC International on accreditation, and with the European Animal Research Association (EARA), CALAM, SfN, AALAS, and SECAL on international transparency and patient engagement. Primary audiences are the general public, biomedical research institutions, pet owners and animal lovers, policymakers, and international research organizations.
Foundation for Biomedical Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Foundation for Biomedical Research
- Legal name
- Foundation for Biomedical Research
- Website
- https://fbresearch.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Foundation for Biomedical Research is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit that educates the public, policymakers, and research institutions on the role of ethical animal research in medical breakthroughs, funded by individual donations and corporate sponsorships and based in Washington, DC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Foundation for Biomedical Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Biomedical Research Advocacy
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI)
Keywords
Where Foundation for Biomedical Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Foundation for Biomedical Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: FBR relies on individual donations from supporters who want to promote ethical animal research. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- Corporate Funding: FBR receives corporate funding from pharmaceutical companies and other corporate sponsors to support its programs. The organization explicitly states it receives no government funding.
- Pet Story Sponsorship: FBR offers a pet story sponsorship program where donors can sponsor the sharing of pet health stories that illustrate how animal research benefits animals too.
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Foundation for Biomedical Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Foundation for Biomedical Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for the ethical use of animals in biomedical research. It delivers public education campaigns, educational materials, real pet stories, polling and research insights, video content, and the annual DeBakey Journalism Awards to build understanding and support for animal research among the general public, research institutions, and policymakers.
Product overview
The Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) operates as a nonprofit advocacy and educational organization rather than a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of educational campaigns, content programs, and resource materials. Key offerings include: the Making Medicine Campaign explaining the drug development process; FBR Real Pet Stories documenting how animal research benefits veterinary medicine; the Love Animals? Support Animal Research initiative; DeBakey Journalism Awards recognizing responsible reporting; Animal Research: Unlocking Medical Miracles blog content; FBR Polling research insights; video content; and the FBR Materials resource library including the Animal Research Success Brochure and LASAR materials. The organization also provides COVID-19 resources and publishes annual reports. These offerings work together to advance public understanding of ethical animal research's role in medical breakthroughs for both humans and animals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FBR Real Pet Stories: A blog series sharing stories about pet health journeys and how animal research has helped improve treatments for animals.
- Making Medicine
- DeBakey Awards
Products and services
- Making Medicine Campaign A public education campaign from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that explains how animal research contributes to medical breakthroughs, aimed at the general public, donors, and supporters of ethical scientific research.
- Love Animals? Support Animal Research Campaign A public-facing advocacy campaign aimed at pet owners and animal lovers, communicating that animal research advances both human and veterinary medicine.
- DeBakey Journalism Awards An annual awards program from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that recognizes journalists who report responsibly and accurately on the role of animal research in medical advances.
- FBR Real Pet Stories A storytelling content series from the Foundation for Biomedical Research featuring real pet stories that illustrate how animal research benefits both animal and human health.
- Animal Research: Unlocking Medical Miracles An educational resource from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that explains how animal research has unlocked medical breakthroughs and saves lives.
- FBR Polling & Research Insights Polling and research insights from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that provide data on public attitudes toward animal research to support advocacy and education.
- FBR Materials Educational materials from the Foundation for Biomedical Research, including brochures, fact sheets, and printed resources for the public and supporters.
- FBR Videos Video content from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that supports its advocacy and educational mission by explaining the role of animal research.
- COVID-19 Resources Dedicated COVID-19 resources from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that highlight the role of animal research in the development of vaccines and treatments during the pandemic.
- FBR Annual Report An annual report from the Foundation for Biomedical Research that summarizes the organization's activities, impact, and financial stewardship for donors and stakeholders.
Quantifiable outcome
- 84% of Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine have involved animal research
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Foundation for Biomedical Research
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Foundation for Biomedical Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Foundation for Biomedical Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- European Animal Research Association (EARA)coreIn November 2025, FBR co-led workshops with EARA at three major international meetings — the AALAS National Meeting in Long Beach, the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in San Diego, and the SECAL National Congress in Bilbao — to promote patient engagement and transparency in animal research.
- CALAM (Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine)coreEARA, with FBR's involvement, co-led a Canadian initiative with CALAM on Transparency Agreements to expand the network of institutions committed to openness about animal research in Canada.
- Society for Neuroscience (SfN)coreFBR participated in the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in San Diego in November 2025, engaging with neuroscientists on open communication about animal research.
- AALAS (American Association for Laboratory Animal Science)coreFBR participated in the AALAS National Meeting in Long Beach in November 2025, presenting on patient engagement and transparency in animal research.
- SECAL (Sociedad Española para las Ciencias del Animal de Laboratorio)coreFBR participated in the SECAL National Congress in Bilbao in November 2025, presenting updates on the growing network of Transparency Agreements.
- Washington Adoption Center for Retired Research Animals (WACRRA)minorWACRRA, founded by a University of Washington researcher, rehomes retired research animals. FBR's platform features stories about rehomed research animals, supporting this initiative.
- Johns Hopkins Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy (CIGAT)coreThe Center for Image-Guided Animal Therapy at Johns Hopkins, headed by Dr. Dara Kraitchman, performed cryosurgery on a dog with spindle cell sarcoma as part of a grant study. The cryotherapy technology was developed with mice and rats at Johns Hopkins and helped extend the dog's life.
- National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR)coreFBR works closely with NABR, which advocates for policies that enable responsible animal research to advance both human and animal health. The two organizations collaborate on advocacy efforts and share resources for research institutions facing activist disruption.
- Ardelis HealthcoreFBR partnered with Ardelis Health to conduct a three-part strategic research initiative to understand attitudes toward biomedical research involving animals, including stakeholder interviews, social media analysis, and a national survey of 2,600 U.S. adults and 300 professionals.
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company LimitedminorTakeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited is a corporate sponsor of FBR's Real Pet Stories campaign, supporting the sharing of stories about how animal research benefits companion animals.
- AAALAC InternationalcoreFBR is a member of AAALAC International, a private, nonprofit organization that promotes humane treatment of animals in science through accreditation and assessment programs.
- Scientists Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW)minorThe executive director of SCAW contributed a pet story about how potassium bromide medication, developed through animal research, helped treat her dog's seizures.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Foundation for Biomedical Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR): U.S. advocacy organization that directly partners with FBR to lobby for policies enabling responsible animal research. NABR is the closest policy-side counterpart to FBR's public-education mission and serves overlapping institutional members.
- European Animal Research Association (EARA): European communications and advocacy organization promoting transparency and public acceptance of animal research. EARA is FBR's explicit international partner on Transparency Agreements and joint workshops.
- Americans for Medical Progress (AMP): U.S. nonprofit that champions the role of animal research in medical progress and counters misinformation. AMP competes for the same donor pool and institutional partnerships and operates a very similar public-engagement model.
Others
- Society for Neuroscience (SfN): Large scientific society whose annual meeting FBR participates in to engage neuroscientists on communications around animal research. Comparable in operating as a U.S. nonprofit serving biomedical researchers, but mission is scientific rather than advocacy.
- AAALAC International: Private nonprofit that accredits animal care and use programs globally. FBR is an AAALAC member; AAALAC is an adjacent ecosystem participant that enforces the welfare standards FBR publicly champions.
- American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS): Professional association for laboratory animal science professionals where FBR regularly presents. AALAS is an enabling stakeholder that connects FBR to the practitioners whose work FBR advocates for.
Regional players
- Understanding Animal Research (UAR): U.K.-based organization that promotes the public understanding of animal research. Comparable mission and toolset (concordat on openness, public events, school resources) but operates primarily in the U.K. rather than the U.S.
- Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine (CALAM): Canadian professional veterinary association partnered with EARA and FBR on a Transparency Agreement initiative. Operates in the same advocacy ecosystem but is Canada-focused and veterinary-medicine-anchored.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Foundation for Biomedical Research social profiles
Digital presenceFoundation for Biomedical Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Foundation for Biomedical Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Foundation for Biomedical Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Foundation for Biomedical Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Foundation for Biomedical Research
What does Foundation for Biomedical Research do?
The Foundation for Biomedical Research is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for the ethical use of animals in biomedical research. It delivers public education campaigns, educational materials, real pet stories, polling and research insights, video content, and the annual DeBakey Journalism Awards to build understanding and support for animal research among the general public, research institutions, and policymakers.
Is Foundation for Biomedical Research a public or private company?
Foundation for Biomedical Research is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Foundation for Biomedical Research founded?
Foundation for Biomedical Research was founded in 1984. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Foundation for Biomedical Research based?
Foundation for Biomedical Research is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Foundation for Biomedical Research make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Funding and pet Story Sponsorship.
Who are Foundation for Biomedical Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), European Animal Research Association (EARA) and Americans for Medical Progress (AMP). Others are Society for Neuroscience (SfN), AAALAC International and American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS). Regional players are Understanding Animal Research (UAR) and Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Medicine (CALAM).
Does Foundation for Biomedical Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for Foundation for Biomedical Research.
What industry is Foundation for Biomedical Research in?
Foundation for Biomedical Research's product category is Nonprofit Biomedical Research Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAI, Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8200.