What Research!America does

Research!America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical and health research advocacy alliance headquartered in Arlington, Virginia (241 18th Street South, Suite 501). Founded in 1989, it functions as the largest coalition advocating for increased federal investment in medical research, aggregating a diverse membership that spans academic institutions, hospitals, independent research institutes, voluntary health organizations, patient advocacy groups, professional societies, trade associations, and life sciences companies. The organization's mission is to make research to improve health a higher national priority by providing a unified voice for the research community in U.S. federal policy debates concerning NIH, CDC, and other federal research agencies.

Research!America's product portfolio is programmatic and event-driven rather than technology-based. Core offerings include the annual "America Speaks" public opinion polling publication (synthesizing survey data on Americans' attitudes toward science and health research, conducted through partners such as Zogby Analytics), the National Health Research Forum convening federal officials, academia, patient advocates, industry, and media, the annual Advocacy Awards (now in its 30th year), the Early Career Summit, the Civic Engagement Microgrant Program supporting student-led science policy organizations, the Weekly Letter newsletter, Alliance Discussions webinar series, the Science & Technology Action Committee (STAC) advocacy coalition, and Public Health Thank You Day. Distribution and engagement occur through the organization's website, email channels, social media (X/Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube), and in-person events.

The organization's business model is a hybrid nonprofit revenue structure with two principal streams: annual membership dues from institutional members (categorized as Academia/Hospital/Independent Research Institution; Industry; Voluntary Health Organization; and Society, with dues scaled by organization type and revenue or research-funding size) and tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations, including planned gifts, bequests, charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities. Research!America is independently governed by a Board of Directors and Officers, has no parent company or private equity backing (EIN 52-1609875), and is currently undergoing a leadership transition, with Russ Paulsen appointed President and CEO effective May 4, 2026, succeeding the retiring Mary Woolley.

Name

Research!America

Legal name

Research!America

Website

https://researchamerica.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Research!America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy alliance, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, that mobilizes academic, healthcare, research, and industry member organizations to collectively advocate for increased U.S. federal investment in medical and health research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Research!America generates revenue through membership dues from a diverse coalition of member organizations including academic institutions, hospitals, independent research institutes, voluntary health agencies, patient advocacy groups, professional societies, and trade associations. Membership types include Academia/Hospital/Independent Research Institution, Industry, Voluntary Health Organization, and Society categories.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, Research!America accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. The organization offers various giving options including one-time and monthly donations, tribute donations (in honor or memory of individuals), and planned gifts such as bequests, charitable lead trusts, charitable remainder trusts, and charitable gift annuities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Research!America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy alliance that recruits and unites academic institutions, hospitals, voluntary health organizations, professional societies, and life sciences companies as members to collectively advocate for increased U.S. federal investment in medical and health research. It monetizes this coalition primarily through tiered annual membership dues and tax-deductible donations, while delivering value via annual public opinion polling (America Speaks), the National Health Research Forum, Advocacy Awards, the Early Career Summit, the Civic Engagement Microgrant Program, and ongoing advocacy alerts, fact sheets, and webinars aimed at influencing federal research funding decisions.

Product overview

Research!America operates as a nonprofit research advocacy alliance offering a portfolio of programs including public opinion polling and publication (America Speaks), annual awards (Advocacy Awards), forums (National Health Research Forum), career development (Early Career Summit), grant programs (Civic Engagement Microgrant Program), newsletters (Weekly Letter), educational resources (Fact Sheets), webinar series (Alliance Discussions), and advocacy coalitions (Science & Technology Action Committee). The organization functions primarily as a membership-based coalition that aggregates and advocates for medical and health research funding, using these programs to educate the public, engage policymakers, and support the research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research!America Membership Annual tiered organizational membership program offering four categories — Academia/Hospital/Independent Research Institution, Industry, Voluntary Health Organization, and Society — providing collective advocacy representation, access to America Speaks poll data, networking with federal officials, and advocacy tools.
• America Speaks Annual summary publication of Research!America's most recent public opinion poll data on science, medical, and health research, used by members and the public for advocacy, media outreach, op-eds, and policymaker engagement.
• Advocacy Awards Annual awards event program recognizing leaders in medical and health research advocacy, including recognition for policymakers, scientists, journalists, and patient advocacy organizations, with nominations open to the public.
• National Health Research Forum Annual forum convening federal officials, academic leaders, patient advocates, industry representatives, philanthropy, and media to discuss health research issues vital to the nation.
• Early Career Summit Career development event for early career researchers featuring professional development workshops, networking opportunities, and science communication competitions; the 2021 iteration was branded as the Reaching the Peak: A Science & Technology Career Summit.
• Civic Engagement Microgrant Program Grant program supporting student-led science policy organizations and advocacy projects at universities across the United States, with funding from sources such as the Rita Allen Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of Americans support basic scientific research across political lines (2026 survey)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UsAgainstAlzheimer'scoreOthersUsAgainstAlzheimer's is the organization from which incoming CEO Russ Paulsen joined Research!America in April 2026. Paulsen served as President and COO at UsAgainstAlzheimer's before assuming leadership of Research!America, indicating a strong connection between the organizations through shared leadership.
• Zogby AnalyticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZogby Analytics conducted Research!America's national survey on science and technology investment in January 2026 among 1,007 adults. This polling partnership provides the organization with data for its advocacy efforts and public education mission.
• Eisai IncorporatedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrincipal sponsor and Flash Talks sponsor for the Reaching the Peak: A Science & Technology Career Summit event in 2021.
• Takeda PharmaceuticalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent sponsor for the Reaching the Peak: A Science & Technology Career Summit in 2021.
• Member OrganizationscoreOthersResearch!America operates as an alliance of member organizations including academic institutions, hospitals, independent research institutes, voluntary health agencies, patient advocacy groups, professional societies, and trade associations. These members form the core coalition advocating for federal research funding.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Health Council: Umbrella organization for chronic disease and disability patient advocacy groups; comparable as a nonprofit coalition that convenes diverse health stakeholders to influence federal health policy.
• Coalition for Health Funding: Nonprofit alliance representing over 100 organizations advocating for robust federal funding for public health and health research agencies; directly comparable as a health-focused appropriations advocacy coalition.
• Ad Hoc Group for Medical Research Funding: Coalition advocating for increased NIH funding, convened by AAMC; directly comparable as a medical-research-specific lobbying alliance with similar member-base composition of academic medical centers and research institutions.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): AAAS is the largest general scientific society advocating for science funding and policy; it directly parallels Research!America's mission of mobilizing the scientific community to influence federal R&D investment.
• United for Medical Research: Coalition of research institutions, patient advocates, and industry that advocates for NIH funding; highly comparable in mission, constituency, and federal appropriations advocacy focus.

Broad incumbents

• AcademyHealth: Professional society for health services researchers that advocates for health research funding and policy; comparable as a health-research advocacy organization, though more academic and HSR-focused versus cross-cutting.
• American Heart Association (Advocacy): Major voluntary health organization with a substantial advocacy arm pushing for NIH and cardiovascular research funding; comparable in health research advocacy mission and donor-supported model, though vertically focused on cardiovascular health.
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN): Largest disease-specific advocacy organization focused on cancer research funding (including NIH/NCI); comparable advocacy model but vertically focused on a single disease area rather than all medical research.

Emerging players

• FasterCures (Milken Institute): Center focused on accelerating biomedical innovation and patient access; comparable in health research advocacy and convening role, though with a stronger biotech/innovation orientation rather than NIH appropriations.

Regional players

• Research Australia: Australia's national alliance advocating for health and medical research investment; directly comparable mission and coalition-based advocacy model, but serves Australia rather than the US market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/researchamerica
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ResearchAmerica
• Facebookfacebook.com/ResearchAmerica.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/researchamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Research!America