Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering provides most promising early-career scientists and engineers with flexible, long-term funding to take risks, awarding each fellow $875,000 over five years (class of 2025 includes 20 fellows).

Target Customer

Early-career scientists and engineers; universities and research institutions hosting fellows; researchers seeking bold, flexible funding for high-risk projects.

Key Differentiator

Large, multi-year, flexible funding specifically for early-career researchers in science and engineering, awarded as a prestigious annual fellowship (five-year, per-fellow grant) to enable high-impact, high-risk research.

Implementation Timeline

Packard Fellowships provide five-year funding per fellow; new cohorts are announced annually (e.g., the 2025 class of 20 Fellows).

Pain Points

1Limited access to long-term, flexible funding that supports high-risk, high-reward research for early-career scientists.
2Funding programs that constrain researchers with short time horizons or rigid use-of-funds, inhibiting innovative exploration.
3Need for a recognized, sustained funding pathway that can attract and retain top emerging researchers in science and engineering.

Key Features

1Five-year fellowship period for each fellow.
2Total funding of $875,000 per fellow over the five-year period.
3Annual class of fellows (e.g., 2025 class with 20 fellows).
4Prestigious, foundation-backed program with a network of fellows and grantees.

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1President and Chief Executive Officer
2Vice President, Environment and Science
3Vice President, Just Societies
4Interim Vice President, Families and Communities
5Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
6Chief Investment Officer
7Chief Communications Officer
8Chief People Officer
9General Counsel
10Board of Trustees / Trustee

Client Results

1Funding model supports 20 Fellows in the 2025 class, each with a five-year, $875,000 award.
2Impact-oriented programming evidenced by the foundation’s annual Fellows program and its ongoing, long-term grantmaking approach.
3Examples of broader impact from the foundation’s initiatives include community-driven projects and policy/innovation wins highlighted in their Impact Reports and grantee stories.

Competitive Advantages

1Flexible funding that enables researchers to take risks beyond traditional grant constraints.
2Long-term commitment supports sustained project development and potential breakthroughs.
3Prestige and continuity from a well-established philanthropic foundation with a focus on science and engineering.
4Integrated network of fellows and grantees for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Key Benefits

1Long-term, flexible funding to pursue ambitious research goals.

2Substantial financial support ($875,000 per fellow over five years).

3Annual cohort of recognized leaders in science and engineering.

4Connection to a network of peers and grantees for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Case Studies & Success Stories

A Collaborative Approach to Stop Homelessness Before It Starts

Case #1

Grantee story highlighting a collaborative effort to prevent homelessness (Caroline Roffe, Aug 28, 2025).

Yurok Tribe Secures Largest Land Back Transfer in California History

Case #2

Grantee story detailing a significant land return transfer for the Yurok Tribe (Caroline Roffe, Jul 8, 2025).

Health Clinics Need Reliable, Affordable Energy: Here’s How They Get It

Case #3

Grantee story about ensuring energy reliability and affordability for health clinics (Caroline Roffe, May 27, 2025).

Coffee, Conservation, and Choice: A New Future for Ethiopia's Forest Communities

Case #4

Grantee story exploring sustainable forest community outcomes (Caroline Roffe, May 21, 2025).

How Salinas Residents Designed Their Own Park

Case #5

Grantee story on community-led park design in Salinas (Caroline Roffe, May 2, 2025).

New Ship Enhances MBARI’s Ability to Study and Protect the Ocean

Case #6

Grantee story about MBARI's vessel development to advance ocean research (April 3, 2025).

Additional Product Information

Product Description

A funding program that provides flexible, long-term support to the most promising early-career scientists and engineers, enabling them to pursue bold research with substantial, five-year fellowship funding.

Target Market

Early-career researchers in science and engineering; universities and research institutions that host Fellows; organizations seeking to fund high-impact, long-term research.

Unique Value Proposition

Unparalleled combination of flexibility, scale, and prestige to empower bold, high-risk scientific and engineering research over a five-year period.

Technical Requirements

Not specified in provided content.

Pricing Model

Funding is provided as fellowships; each fellow receives $875,000 over five years. Annual cohorts (e.g., 2025 class of 20 fellows) are funded as part of the program.

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