Sustainable Sciences Institute

What Sustainable Sciences Institute does

Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI) is a nonprofit research and capacity-building organization founded in 1998 and based in Oakland, California (with a mailing P.O. Box address). Its mission is to assist scientific communities in developing countries to develop long-term research and public health systems in their own regions. Rather than deploying external experts, SSI focuses on empowering local scientists and researchers with training, resources, and infrastructure so they can conduct research on infectious diseases and respond to disease outbreaks independently.

SSI operates six interconnected programs: Arboviruses, Influenza, Women's Health, Community Engagement, Capacity Building, and Hepatitis C. These programs share a central Capacity Building function that provides training and resources to local researchers, supporting surveillance, outbreak response, and applied research in infectious disease and women's health across developing regions. Scientific outputs are documented through an annual publications list featuring SSI-affiliated researchers, and the organization maintains a continuous public reporting practice with annual reports published every year from 2003 through 2025. Leadership is anchored by President Eva Harris and Executive Director Josefina Coloma.

As a 501(c)-equivalent nonprofit, SSI's revenue mechanics are donation-based, not commercial. It accepts individual and organizational contributions through an online PayPal donation portal and by check, and it offers donors the option to direct funds to specific capacity-building projects. Headcount is reported in the 101-250 range, and the website lists active Careers and Staff/Board pages, indicating ongoing organizational capacity. There is no commercial product line, no paid customer base, and no AI/ML or software offering; the organization is structured as a programmatic nonprofit rather than a technology or services vendor.

Name

Sustainable Sciences Institute

Legal name

Sustainable Sciences Institute

Website

https://sustainablesciences.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sustainable Sciences Institute is a nonprofit founded in 1998 that builds scientific capacity in developing countries by training local scientists to research arboviruses, influenza, women's health, and hepatitis C and to respond to disease outbreaks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Systems Strengthening & Global Health Technical Assistance (BPADAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Multilateral Global Health Agencies (UN/IFIs) (HLAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Global health research
• Scientific capacity building
• Infectious disease programs
• Public health training
• Nonprofit research support

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI) is a nonprofit organization that supports scientific communities in developing countries by funding research and building long-term public health capacity. It runs interconnected research and training programs focused on arboviruses, influenza, women's health, hepatitis C, community engagement, and broader capacity building for local researchers.

Product overview

Sustainable Sciences Institute (SSI) is a nonprofit research and capacity building organization that supports scientists in developing countries to improve public health outcomes. SSI operates as a unified institute offering multiple interconnected research programs focused on infectious diseases and health challenges. The programs include Arboviruses, Influenza, Women's Health, Hepatitis C, and Community Engagement, all supported by a central Capacity Building Program that provides training and resources to local researchers. The organization functions as a research institute rather than a commercial product company, with programs that work collaboratively to address global health crises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Arboviruses Research Program Research and capacity building program focused on arboviruses affecting populations in developing regions, supporting local scientists in surveillance and response.
• Influenza Research Program Program dedicated to influenza research and supporting local scientists in influenza surveillance and response.
• Women's Health Program Initiative addressing women's health challenges through scientific capacity building and research in developing countries.
• Hepatitis C Research Program Research initiative focused on hepatitis C addressing the disease in developing world contexts.
• Community Engagement Program Program focused on engaging communities in global health research and capacity building efforts.
• Capacity Building Program Core program providing training, resources, and support to scientists in developing countries to strengthen local public health research capabilities.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Partners In Health: Nonprofit delivering health services and training local clinicians in low-income countries; comparable in its emphasis on building local capacity rather than parachute interventions, though with a clinical-service orientation.
• PATH: Large global health nonprofit that builds local scientific and public-health capacity in developing countries across infectious disease, maternal health, and health systems — directly comparable in mission and operating model to SSI.
• Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI): Global health nonprofit working with governments in developing countries to strengthen health systems and tackle HIV, hepatitis, and infectious diseases — overlaps directly with SSI's hepatitis C and capacity-building programs.
• Global Health Corps: Nonprofit that places and trains young professionals in global health organizations in Africa and the U.S.; comparable in its capacity-building mission for health systems in developing regions.
• icddr,b: International research institute based in Bangladesh conducting infectious disease research and capacity building in the developing world — closely comparable to SSI in research-and-training focus.

Broad incumbents

• BRAC: Large international development nonprofit operating health, education, and livelihoods programs across the developing world; much larger scale but similar model of community-rooted health interventions.
• CARE International: Major humanitarian nonprofit with global health and women's health programming across developing countries; comparable population served but with broader humanitarian mandate.

Emerging players

• Sabin Vaccine Institute: Nonprofit advancing vaccine R&D and immunization capacity in low- and middle-income countries; overlapping focus on infectious disease capacity building with a narrower vaccine orientation.
• DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative): Nonprofit research organization developing treatments for neglected diseases affecting developing countries; comparable research-driven, capacity-strengthening nonprofit model.

Others

• Fogarty International Center (NIH): U.S. government entity that funds research training for scientists in low- and middle-income countries — comparable capacity-building funder/mission though a federal agency rather than nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SSIGlobalHealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Sustainable Sciences Institute