Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation

What Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation does

Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation (MVBRF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established in November 1988 under congressional authorization that permitted VA Medical Centers to create foundations for administering private-sector research funds. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, MVBRF operates as the federally authorized research support entity for four VA Medical Centers within the VA Heartland Network (VISN 15): Kansas City VA Medical Center, Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center (Leavenworth), Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center (Topeka), and Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center (Wichita). The foundation supports VA investigators conducting basic, clinical, and outcomes research across therapeutic areas including cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology, mental health, substance abuse, and COVID-19, and provides Phase I–IV clinical trial infrastructure, animal-model and inpatient/outpatient research capabilities, and outcomes research support.

The foundation's service portfolio comprises grant and business management, human resources administration, and clinical research coordination for VA physicians, scientists, nurses, and clinical study coordinators. Its specialized research capabilities include a Drug Discovery Program led by Dr. Mukut Sharma, with synthetic and medicinal chemistry teams that have synthesized more than 50 novel small molecules with patent potential targeting Alzheimer's Disease and Substance Use Disorders. Notable investigator-led programs include Dr. Prateek Sharma's gastroenterology research — including the PIB scoring system deployed across a 4,600-patient multi-center study — and Dr. Faris Farassati's Molecular Medicine Laboratory in translational cancer and virology research.

MVBRF's revenue model is grant-dependent and non-commercial. Funding flows from federal research grants (NIH, NCI, DoD), private foundation grants (Alzheimer's Association, PCORI), pharmaceutical industry-sponsored clinical trials (AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, GSK US, Gilead, Bayer, Takeda, Janssen, Novavax), clinical research organization partnerships (Parexel, Icon), and philanthropic donations processed through PayPal. Operating geographies are restricted to Missouri and Kansas, with no global footprint. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors comprising directors of the four affiliated VA Medical Centers, ACOS-R and ACOS-E leadership, and community members, under Executive Director Dr. Julie Gouda, MD, and President Jean J. Gurga.

Name

Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation

Legal name

Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation

Website

https://mvbrf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation established in 1988 under congressional authorization to administer private-sector funding for medical research across four VA Medical Centers in Kansas City, Leavenworth, Topeka, and Wichita, serving U.S. Veterans.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Biomedical research services
• Clinical trial support
• Veterans health research
• Grant administration services
• Drug discovery research

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: The foundation receives federal research grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and Department of Defense (DoD) to support VA research and education activities.
2. Foundation Grants: Funding received from organizations such as Alzheimer's Association and Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) for supporting VA research programs.
3. Pharmaceutical Industry Studies: Clinical trials conducted in partnership with pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Merck, Novartis, and others, providing funding for VA research.
4. Philanthropic Donations: The foundation accepts donations through PayPal to support research and educational programming for Veteran health initiatives.

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

MVBRF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that supports research and educational activities of VA staff across four VA Medical Centers. It provides grant and business management, human resources, and clinical research support to VA investigators conducting basic, clinical, and outcomes research, and facilitates Phase I–IV clinical trials with pharmaceutical industry partners and federal agencies (NIH, NCI, DoD).

Product overview

Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation (MVBRF) is a non-profit corporation (501(c)(3)) that supports research and educational activities at VA Medical Centers in Kansas City, Leavenworth, Topeka, and Wichita. Rather than a commercial product company, MVBRF provides an integrated suite of research support services including grant and business management, human resources, and clinical research support. The foundation facilitates investigator-initiated research across multiple therapeutic areas (cardiology, gastroenterology, hepatology, mental health, oncology, substance abuse, renal, pulmonary, and COVID-19) through federal grants (NIH, NCI, DoD, VA Merit), pharmaceutical industry clinical trials, and private foundation funding. Their Drug Discovery Program represents a specialized chemistry research capability focused on small molecule development for Alzheimer's Disease and Substance Use Disorders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Support Services Provides grant and business management, human resources, and clinical research support to VA investigators conducting basic, clinical, and outcomes research across four VA Medical Centers. For VA investigators and research staff.
• Clinical Trial Support Supports investigators conducting clinical trials in multiple therapeutic areas including Phase I, II, III, and IV trials and outcomes research across animal models, inpatient, and outpatient settings. For VA investigators and pharmaceutical industry sponsors.
• Drug Discovery Program Synthetic and medicinal chemistry program focused on designing, developing, and synthesizing novel small molecules for treating Alzheimer's Disease and Substance Use Disorders. For VA investigators and translational research partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 60,000 Veterans served at Kansas City VA Medical Center annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 1988
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Department of Defense (DoD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• National Cancer Institute (NCI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Alzheimer's AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• University of Kansas (KU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Duke UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Children's Mercy HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• AstraZenecacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• AmgencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Bristol Myers SquibbcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• MerckcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• NovartiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• GSK UScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Gilead SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• BayercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• TakedacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• ParexelmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• NovavaxmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Icon (Clinical Research)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• ERBE (Medical Devices)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• University of Kansas School of Medicine-WichitacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Wichita State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner
• Kansas City University of Medicine and BiosciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Portland VA Research Foundation: Non-profit research corporation affiliated with the Portland VA Medical Center in Oregon. Comparable NPC structure administering federal and private-sector funds for VA investigator-initiated and industry-sponsored studies.
• Boston VA Research Institute (BVARI): Non-profit foundation supporting biomedical research at VA Boston Healthcare System. Operates the same congressional-authority NPC model and provides grant administration, HR, and clinical research support for VA investigators.
• Veterans Medical Research Foundation (VMRF): San Diego-based 501(c)(3) non-profit research corporation affiliated with the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Closely mirrors MVBRF's model of administering non-federal funds for VA-conducted research across clinical trials and basic science.
• Veterans Research Foundation (Pittsburgh): Non-profit NPC supporting biomedical research at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Directly comparable in mission, governance, and revenue mix (federal grants + pharma-sponsored trials + donations).
• Veterans Research Corporation of Memphis: Non-profit research corporation supporting VA research at the Memphis VA Medical Center. Shares the same congressional-authorized NPC structure, pharma industry trial partnerships, and federal grant funding profile.

Broad incumbents

• Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI): Large non-profit biomedical research organization supporting investigator-driven science. Useful as a benchmark for non-profit research operations, though at vastly greater scale and with its own investigator appointments rather than VA infrastructure.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): Largest federal biomedical research funder and a primary grant provider for MVBRF-supported investigators. Relevant as the upstream incumbent whose policy and budget decisions shape MVBRF's research portfolio.
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI): Independent non-profit funding comparative clinical effectiveness research and a current MVBRF funder. Comparable in non-profit research-funding mandate but operates nationally across many institutions rather than supporting a single research site.

Others

• National Association of Veterans' Research Foundations (NAVREF): Trade association of VA-affiliated non-profit research corporations, of which MVBRF is a member. Provides peer benchmarking, training, and federal advocacy for the same model of foundation-supported VA research.

Regional players

• University of Kansas Medical Center Research Institute: Academic research enterprise affiliated with the University of Kansas and an MVBRF academic partner (KU, KU School of Medicine–Wichita). Comparable in scope of federally funded clinical research, but operates as an academic institution rather than VA NPC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midwest-veterans-biomedical-research-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Midwest Veterans' Biomedical Research Foundation