What The Science Coalition does

The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It operates as a coalition of 55 leading U.S. public and private research universities dedicated to sustaining federal investment in fundamental scientific research as a means to stimulate economic growth, spur innovation, and maintain American competitiveness. The coalition's members include institutions such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, University of Michigan, Penn State, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Washington, University of Florida, and University of Pennsylvania, among others.

The organization's core deliverables are advocacy programs rather than commercial products. These include the Champions of Science Award (recognizing Congressional supporters since 1999, with over 100 recipients), the Sparking Economic Growth report series (five volumes published from 2010 to 2025 documenting companies born from federally funded research, supporting nearly 100,000 jobs and contributing $1.3B+ in U.S. GDP), the 'The Science of' event series (e.g., The Science of Transportation), the annual Student Video Challenge, and the Research Innovators showcase. The coalition also issues public statements on federal science policy, including responses to actions affecting the National Science Board and federal research agencies (NSF, NIH, DOE).

The Science Coalition is funded almost entirely through recurring membership dues from its member universities and operates with a small staff (1–10 employees). Its distribution model relies on a WordPress-hosted website, social media channels, press releases, in-person events, and direct engagement with members of Congress and federal policymakers. The organization does not sell products or services and holds no proprietary technology assets beyond standard content management and analytics tooling.

Name

The Science Coalition

Legal name

The Science Coalition

Website

https://sciencecoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of 55 leading U.S. research universities that advocates for sustained federal investment in fundamental scientific research through events, reports, and awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)

Keywords

• Science policy advocacy
• Federal research funding
• Research university coalition
• Higher education advocacy
• Scientific research awareness

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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: The organization is sustained by membership dues from its more than 50 research university members.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization that represents more than 50 leading U.S. public and private research universities. It advocates for sustained federal investment in fundamental scientific research through content publications (such as the Sparking Economic Growth report series), recognition programs (Champions of Science Award), student engagement (annual Student Video Challenge), events ('The Science of' series), and direct engagement with U.S. policymakers.

Product overview

The Science Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing more than 50 leading public and private research universities. Rather than offering a traditional technology product, TSC provides advocacy programs and initiatives including the Champions of Science Award recognizing Congressional support for research, the Student Video Challenge celebrating student science communication, the Sparking Economic Growth Report series documenting university spinoff companies, The Science of transportation event series, and the Research Innovators showcase highlighting university researchers. These programs collectively advance TSC’s mission of sustaining federal investment in fundamental scientific research to stimulate the economy and drive American competitiveness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Champions of Science Award Annual recognition program honoring U.S. Congressional members who demonstrate consistent support for fundamental scientific research. Over 100 current and former members of Congress have received the award since 1999. For member universities and federal policymakers.
• Alyse Gray Parker Memorial Student Video Challenge

Quantifiable outcome

• 55 member research universities supporting the coalition's mission
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Member Research Universities (55 institutions)coreOthers · 1 January 202555 leading public and private research universities including American University, Binghamton University, Georgetown University, Old Dominion University, Syracuse University, University of Alaska System, University at Albany, University of Cincinnati, Virginia Commonwealth University, and others form the core membership base.
• National Science Foundation (NSF)coreOthersThe Science Coalition advocates for sustained federal investment in NSF and other research agencies. NSF data is frequently cited in TSC reports to demonstrate the economic impact of federally funded university research.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH)coreOthersTSC advocates for NIH funding and cites NIH economic impact data in its reports, including findings that every $1 in NIH funding generates nearly $2.56 of economic activity.
• Department of Energy (DOE)coreOthersTSC highlights DOE-funded university research and ARPA-E projects in its Sparking Economic Growth reports and events.
• U.S. Department of TransportationminorOthersTSC collaborated with USDOT for 'The Science of Transportation' event, showcasing how federally funded university research strengthens transportation infrastructure.
• X (formerly Twitter)minorOthersSocial media platform used for sharing science stories and amplifying STEM voices.
• FacebookminorOthersSocial media platform used for community engagement and science advocacy content.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• National Humanities Alliance: National Humanities Alliance advocates for federal investment in humanities research and education through a coalition of universities and organizations. It uses a structurally identical advocacy playbook to TSC and competes for the same pool of discretionary federal research dollars.
• FASEB (Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology): FASEB represents biological and biomedical researchers and advocates for NIH and NSF funding. It is thematically comparable to TSC but speaks for scientific societies and individual researchers rather than universities, giving it a partially overlapping advocacy footprint.

Direct peers

• Council on Governmental Relations (COGR): COGR is an association of research universities and research institutes focused on the regulatory and financial environment affecting research administration. It is comparable to TSC as a coalition advocating for research-performing institutions before federal agencies and Congress.
• Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU): APLU is a research, policy, and advocacy organization for public universities and land-grant institutions. It pursues overlapping goals around federal R&D funding, research policy, and Congressional outreach, with many member institutions shared with TSC.
• Association of American Universities (AAU): AAU is a membership association of 71 leading U.S. and Canadian research universities that similarly advocates for federal investment in research and higher education. It directly overlaps with TSC on policy advocacy, Congressional engagement, and university coalition building, and represents many of the same institutions.
• Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF): CNSF is an alliance of science organizations supporting the National Science Foundation, including universities, scientific societies, and corporations. It is one of TSC's closest direct competitors for influence over NSF appropriations and NSF-related Congressional outreach.
• Research!America: Research!America is an advocacy alliance that campaigns for increased federal funding for medical and health research. It competes with TSC for the same pool of Congressional attention on R&D appropriations, particularly the NIH budget.
• American Council on Education (ACE): ACE is the major coordinating body for U.S. higher education institutions, advocating on federal research, student aid, and regulatory issues. It overlaps with TSC on federal R&D funding advocacy while serving a broader mandate across all higher education.
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): AAAS is a nonprofit that advocates for science funding, science policy, and public engagement with science. While broader than TSC, it competes for the same Congressional and public attention on federal R&D investment and provides parallel science-policy storytelling.

Broad incumbents

• National Academy of Sciences: The National Academy of Sciences is a congressionally chartered institution that advises the federal government on science policy. It overlaps with TSC in shaping national R&D policy conversations but does so from a chartered, authoritative posture rather than a coalition-advocacy model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/scicoalition
• Facebookfacebook.com/sciencecoalition
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-science-coalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Science Coalition