Feinstein International Center at Tufts University

What Feinstein International Center at Tufts University does

The Feinstein International Center (FIC) is a non-profit research and teaching center embedded within the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, with an operational office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Founded in 1995 as the International Famine Center and renamed the Feinstein International Famine Center in 1997 after a landmark gift from Rhode Island philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein, it rebranded as the Feinstein International Center in 2006 to reflect its broadened humanitarian mandate. FIC conducts field-based research, policy analysis, and graduate education on famine prevention, humanitarian crises, food security, anticipatory action, pastoralism, forced migration, and climate-driven disasters, operating across 17+ countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Its product portfolio includes the Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) joint degree program, the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) international standard, the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) university consortium, and a substantial output of peer-reviewed publications and policy briefs.

FIC's business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than commercial. Primary revenue flows include competitive research grants from government agencies (notably USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance under cooperative agreement 720BHA21CA00044, and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), philanthropic donations channeled through Tufts (Leir Foundation, Alan Shawn Feinstein, and others), and tuition from the MAHA program administered jointly with the Fletcher School. The center reaches its audiences through peer-reviewed academic publishing, policy briefings, conferences, digital content (website, LinkedIn, YouTube), and direct engagement with humanitarian organizations (Red Cross, WFP, OCHA, UNICEF, START Network, Mercy Corps) and government policymakers. It has approximately 25 core faculty, researchers, and staff, supplemented by visiting fellows and is led by its fourth director, Paul Howe, appointed in 2021.

Name

Feinstein International Center at Tufts University

Legal name

Feinstein International Center at Tufts University

Website

https://fic.tufts.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Feinstein International Center is a non-profit research and teaching center at Tufts University that conducts field-based research, policy analysis, and graduate education on famine prevention, humanitarian crises, food security, anticipatory action, and forced migration across 17+ countries, serving humanitarian organizations, government agencies, policymakers, and graduate students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Research and Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Global Health Institutes & Programs (EDAHAGAM), Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK), International & Global Public Health Aid Administration (Government Donors) (HLAJALAO)

Keywords

• Humanitarian research
• Famine prevention
• Food security research
• Humanitarian education
• Anticipatory action

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Primary revenue from competitive grants from government agencies (USAID, UK Department for International Development, U.S. Department of State) and foundations
2. Educational Programs: Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) program - a joint degree offered by Friedman and Fletcher Schools at Tufts University
3. Donations: Philanthropic donations designated to the Feinstein International Center through Tufts University's Friedman School

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Feinstein International Center conducts academic research, field-based inquiry, and graduate-level education focused on world hunger, famine prevention, humanitarian crises, forced migration, climate-driven disasters, and food security. It delivers the Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) joint degree, produces peer-reviewed publications and policy briefs, maintains international research consortia such as the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As), and develops practical frameworks such as the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) for use by humanitarian practitioners and policymakers.

Product overview

The Feinstein International Center is an academic research and teaching institution at Tufts University, not a technology product company. It offers a portfolio of research programs, educational offerings, and publications focused on humanitarian issues, world hunger, famine prevention, and crisis response. The center provides the Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) program as its primary educational product, alongside various research initiatives including the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action, Financial Resilience Program, and Refugees and Forced Migration Research. The center produces extensive publications and research reports but does not offer commercial software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Masters of Arts in Humanitarian Assistance (MAHA) A joint graduate degree program offered by the Friedman and Fletcher Schools at Tufts University, providing graduate-level education in humanitarian assistance, equipping students with analytical skills and best practices for humanitarian work.
• Humanitarian Crises Research Program Pioneering research program exploring humanitarian crises, climate change impacts, anticipatory action, and transformative approaches to addressing global humanitarian challenges.
• World Hunger Research Program Research initiative focused on reversing global hunger trends and supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Global Hunger by 2030, examining hunger from molecular processes to planetary food systems.
• Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) A global consortium of universities developing the evidence base on anticipatory action mechanisms for humanitarian response before disasters strike, partnering with Red Cross, WFP, OCHA, and START Network.
• Financial Resilience Program Program promoting understanding of financial resilience in marginalized populations in high-risk/high-stress environments, exploring microfinance and communications technology influences on household resilience.
• Refugees and Forced Migration Research Research program directed by Karen Jacobsen focusing on urban displacement, refugee rights and livelihoods, migration policy, and profiling methodologies for displaced populations.
• Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) An international standard and handbook for livestock-based livelihoods interventions in humanitarian emergencies, initiated by the center and adopted by humanitarian practitioners globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research contributed to successful interventions in Somalia during 2017 and 2022 famine threats
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, historical and minor.

• Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action, implementing anticipatory action mechanisms in humanitarian response.
• World Food Programme (WFP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action consortium, implementing anticipatory action for food security.
• OCHAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in anticipatory action research and localization efforts, with studies examining UN's early action interventions.
• START NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian network partner in the 4As consortium developing anticipatory action evidence base.
• Bangladesh University of Engineering and TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) consortium.
• Eduardo Mondlane University, MozambiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) consortium.
• Makerere University, UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) consortium.
• National University of LesothocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) consortium.
• University of the PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner in the Academic Alliance for Anticipatory Action (4As) consortium.
• UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned the center's retrospective study on the 2011 famine in Somalia, which contributed to successful interventions in 2017 and 2022.
• University of CorkhistoricalStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial joint collaboration partner in founding the International Famine Center in 1995 before going solo.
• Friedman School of Nutrition Science and PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome institution within Tufts University providing academic framework and resources for research and education programs.
• Fletcher School of Law and DiplomacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint degree partner for the MAHA program, combining expertise in humanitarian assistance and international relations.
• Mercy CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization citing and utilizing Feinstein research for humanitarian decision-making.
• International Criminal CourtmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourt cited Feinstein research on Uganda in reparations order; researchers testified as expert witnesses.
• Pan African Program for the Control of Epizootics / OAU-IBARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership contributing to rinderpest eradication through Community Animal Health and Participatory Epidemiology (CAPE) project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: Large policy research organization with significant work on humanitarian operations, conflict, and disaster response. Operates at much greater scale and breadth than Feinstein but shares the model of evidence-based research influencing government decision-making.
• Chatham House: Long-established international affairs think tank with broad coverage of conflict, migration, and humanitarian policy. Much larger and broader in scope than Feinstein, but operates in overlapping policy-research territory.

Direct peers

• Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford: Oxford-based academic centre conducting multi-disciplinary research on forced migration, refugees, and humanitarian response — directly comparable to Feinstein's Refugees and Forced Migration Research program led by Karen Jacobsen.
• Overseas Development Institute (ODI): UK-based independent global development think tank producing policy research on humanitarian response, food security, and conflict — the closest structural analogue to Feinstein, with overlapping funder base (FCDO, USAID) and a comparable research-to-policy model.
• Center for Global Development (CGD): Washington DC-based think tank producing evidence-based research on global development, aid effectiveness, and humanitarian policy. Directly comparable research-to-policy operating model and donor base to Feinstein.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): CGIAR-affiliated research institute focused on food policy, hunger, and nutrition with a strong country-office model in Africa and Asia. Highly comparable mission to Feinstein's world hunger and food security work, with overlapping USAID funding streams.
• Harvard Humanitarian Initiative: University-based humanitarian research and practice center at Harvard that conducts field-based research on humanitarian crises, disaster response, and accountability — same academic-hub-for-humanitarian-evidence model as Feinstein.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health: University-based center producing operational research on humanitarian health responses, epidemics, and conflict-affected populations. Closely comparable academic research center operating at the intersection of public health and humanitarian action.

Others

• Concern Worldwide: Major operational humanitarian NGO that both delivers programs in Feinstein's geographies and consumes evidence-based research on famine early warning and livelihoods. Ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
• Mercy Corps: Large operational humanitarian NGO that has cited and utilized Feinstein's research for humanitarian decision-making. Ecosystem partner — both a research consumer and a co-implementer in fragile contexts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FeinsteinIntlCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/feinstein-international-center-tufts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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