Center for the Advancement of Science in Space Inc
Merritt Island, FL · EIN 27-5410763. Reported 203 grants totalling $20.8M to 90 organizations across tax years 2020-2024, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Center for the Advancement of Science in Space Inc, the IRS classifies it under science & technology rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE U05) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 90 distinct organizations, with 14% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 68% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 4 year-to-year transitions. That is about the 56% median for grantmaking charities -- lower than the 67% median for private foundations. It describes the organizations it already funds, not whether it would consider a new one.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $50,219. Half of what it reported fell between $21,632 and $119,954; the smallest was $323 and the largest $1,145,781. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Tango Inc | Lexington, KY | $2,876,824 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Regents of the University of Colorado | Denver, CO | $2,044,487 | 6 | 5 | 2024 |
| Redwire Space Technologies Inc | Greenville, IN | $1,482,271 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Nanoracks LLC | Webster, TX | $956,241 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Techshot Inc | Greenville, IN | $792,171 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Tec-Masters Inc | Huntsville, AL | $739,754 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University | Stanford, CA | $579,401 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Axiom Space | Houston, TX | $567,266 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc | Pittsburgh, PA | $452,033 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Alpha Space Test and Research Alliance LLC | Houston, TX | $440,323 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Eascra Biotech | Boston, MA | $432,300 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Oculogenex Inc | La Habra, CA | $419,352 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Baylor College of Medicine | Houston, TX | $408,612 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | W Hollywood, CA | $375,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Palo Alto Research Center Parc | Palo Alto, CA | $349,673 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Revbio Inc | Lowell, MA | $345,396 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $339,512 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Notre Dame Du Lac | Notre Dame, IN | $301,594 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $297,001 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Transastra Corporation | Los Angeles, CA | $290,625 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | $261,327 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Leocloud Inc | Ashburn, VA | $255,060 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Masschallenge | Boston, MA | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Clemson University | Clemson, SC | $221,194 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Made in Space Inc | Jacksonville, FL | $206,674 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Xheme Inc | Newton Center, MA | $199,137 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Zin Technologies Inc | Middleheights, OH | $191,967 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Launchspace Technologies | Boca Raton, FL | $182,325 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Carthage College | Kenosha, WI | $181,767 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Axonis | Lafayette, CA | $180,412 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Encapsulate LLC | Farmington, CT | $172,900 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Board of Regents of University of Wisconsin System | Milwaukee, WI | $172,745 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Colgate Palmolive Company | Piscataway, NJ | $157,650 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Amplyus LLC | Cambridge, MA | $156,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Methodist Hospital | Houston, TX | $155,780 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | $151,473 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Trustees of Boston University | Boston, MA | $150,658 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Leidos Inc | Reston, VA | $148,635 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Redpoint Oncology Inc | Holden, MA | $137,860 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wake Forest University Health Sciences | Winstonsalem, NC | $131,237 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Orions Quest | Livonia, MI | $122,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Regents of the University of California at San Diego | La Jolla, CA | $120,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc | Watertown, MA | $119,954 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL | $114,530 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Rendezvous Robotics Inc | Cambridge, MA | $96,750 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Vrcore Inc | Fort Worth, TX | $95,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Walter Reed Army Institute of Research | Silver Spring, MD | $95,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Flawless Photonics Inc | Mountain View, CA | $92,529 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Magnitudeio Inc | Albany, CA | $87,200 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Florida Institute of Technology Inc | Melbourne, FL | $85,758 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cornerstone Research Group Inc | Miamisburg, OH | $85,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | $81,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Quest Institute for Quality Education | San Jose, CA | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ | $73,690 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Lambda Vision | Farmington, CT | $67,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | $66,145 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Maryland College Park | College Park, MD | $64,665 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD | $64,659 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Board of the University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | $64,290 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Creatorspace | League City, TX | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Embrace Space LLC | Houston, TX | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sciperio Inc | Orlando, FL | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pop Up Labs LLC | Beaverton, OR | $59,345 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Science Friday Initiative Inc | New York, NY | $58,880 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Childrens Museum of Indianapolis Incorporated | Indianapolis, IN | $55,325 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Fourier LLC | West Newton, MA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Institute of Competition Sciences | San Francisco, CA | $49,700 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Association of Space Explorers | Webster, TX | $47,432 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Independence, OH | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Parent Booster USA Inc | Tampa, FL | $39,120 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Kernal Biologics Inc | Cambridge, MA | $32,734 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Kbr Wyle Services LLC | Houston, TX | $31,024 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Myriad Sensors Inc Dba Pockletlab | Franklin, TN | $31,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Lux Labs Inc | Cambridge, MA | $27,501 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Space Technology and Advanced Research Systems Inc | Houston, TX | $26,315 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Symphony Biosciences | Los Angeles, CA | $22,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Regents of the University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | $22,379 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Regents of the University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $21,632 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Toledo | Cleveland, OH | $19,422 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Texas MD Anderson | Houston, TX | $17,366 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| First the Seed Foundation | Alexandria, VA | $14,370 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Orbital Sidekick Inc | San Francisco, CA | $13,750 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Rhodium Scientific LLC | Houston, TX | $13,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Upstream Pbc Inc | Alameda, CA | $11,889 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Atlanta, GA | $10,936 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| School Board of Pinellas County Fl | Largo, FL | $9,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Alaska | Fairbanks, AK | $6,079 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| 1DROP Diagnostics US Inc | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Astrileux Corporation | Oakland, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
54 of 90 (60%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Space Tango Inc
IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER FOR MULTIPLE FLIGHT PROJECTS - Stanford University
STANFORD UNIVERSITY: THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY WIDE BANDGAP SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS WITH REDUCED DEFECTS FOR APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRIES SUCH AS AVIATION, AUTOMOTIVE, AND COMMUNICATIONS. - Techshot Inc
IMPLEMENTATION PARTNER TO SUPPORT PRINICIPAL INVESTIGTOR IN MISSION INTEGRATIONS & OPS - Regents of the University of Colorado
THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS INVESTIGATOR ACCESS TO BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS FROM A RODENT RESEARCH REFERENCE MISSION FOR FUNDAMENTAL BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ON THE ISS NATIONAL LAB. - Baylor College of Medicine
STUDIES HOW EXPOSURE TO MICROGRAVITY DISRUPTS THE CIRCATIDAL CLOCK, THE 12-HOUR OSCILLATION OF GENES INVOLVED IN METABOLISM, TO EXPLORE THE ROLE OF REGULATORY GENES IN METABOLIC DISORDERS SUCH AS LIVER DISEASE, DIABETES, AND OTHER ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH OBESITY. - Oculogenex Inc
GENE THERAPY TO PREVENT SPACEFLIGHT ASSOCIATED OXIDATIVE STRESS AND APOPTOSIS
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 28 of 90 recipients we could match to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's, not ours -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 38 | $3,282,120 | $59,859 |
| 2021 | 31 | $2,284,362 | $38,890 |
| 2022 | 42 | $4,255,111 | $58,030 |
| 2023 | 43 | $5,914,104 | $52,500 |
| 2024 | 49 | $5,031,509 | $52,520 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
14% of its giving went to organizations in Texas. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $50,219 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in Texas.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Center for the Advancement of Science in Space Inc's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Recipient classifications, the concentration and retention figures and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations from them, described in how we build this.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 12 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 37 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 505 Odyssey Way, Merritt Island, FL, 32953.
EIN 27-5410763 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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