BrightFocus Foundation’s $330 Million Research Investment Generates Eightfold Increase in Follow-On Funding, Assessment Finds
BrightFocus Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research into Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma, has reported significant returns from its long-term investment in early-stage scientific research. An independent impact assessment conducted by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) found that funding from the foundation has helped researchers secure an average of eight times more follow-on funding from other sources, supporting scientific discoveries, new diagnostic tools, treatment development, and strategies aimed at reducing disease risk.
For more than 53 years, BrightFocus Foundation has supported promising and emerging scientists pursuing innovative research ideas that may carry substantial scientific risk but offer considerable potential for advancing medical knowledge. Rather than focusing exclusively on established research programs, the foundation provides early financial support to investigators exploring new approaches to understanding, diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases that affect the brain and vision.
The assessment, commissioned by BrightFocus Foundation and released on October 15, 2026, highlights the impact of this funding strategy across the scientific research community. Its findings suggest that relatively early investments can help researchers establish the preliminary evidence needed to attract additional financial support, expand collaborations, advance promising discoveries, and translate laboratory findings into clinically relevant applications.
Through its three primary research programs—Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research—BrightFocus has invested more than $330 million in scientific research over five decades. The latest assessment underscores how these investments can extend beyond individual grants, creating broader benefits for researchers, healthcare innovation, and people affected by diseases of the mind and sight.
Early-Stage Research Funding Creates a Multiplier Effect
Early-stage scientific research often involves investigating ideas that have not yet generated sufficient evidence to attract large-scale funding. Researchers may need to demonstrate the feasibility of a new hypothesis, establish a promising experimental method, or identify preliminary biological findings before they can compete successfully for larger grants.
BrightFocus Foundation addresses this challenge by supporting investigators at critical stages of their research careers and projects. Its grants provide researchers with resources to explore emerging scientific questions, develop experimental approaches, and generate findings that can form the basis of subsequent studies.
According to the independent assessment, scientists who received funding from BrightFocus reported securing, on average, eight times more follow-on funding from other sources. This finding highlights the potential of targeted philanthropic investment to strengthen the research funding pipeline and help promising projects progress beyond their initial stages.
Additional funding can allow researchers to expand their studies, recruit research personnel, investigate new questions, establish collaborations, and develop technologies or therapeutic approaches. It can also help investigators build the scientific track record required to compete for grants from government agencies, foundations, and other research funders.
The assessment therefore positions BrightFocus funding as more than a source of direct financial assistance. It serves as a catalyst that can help promising scientific ideas advance through multiple stages of investigation, increasing their opportunities to produce meaningful discoveries.
This approach is particularly relevant in fields such as neurodegenerative disease and ophthalmology, where scientific progress frequently depends on long-term investigations into complex biological mechanisms. Early findings can be essential for identifying disease pathways, validating biomarkers, developing diagnostic technologies, and establishing the rationale for future clinical research.
C2N Diagnostics Demonstrates the Impact of Early Investment
One notable example of the foundation’s influence is C2N Diagnostics, a St. Louis-based company whose work in Alzheimer’s disease diagnostics benefited from early BrightFocus funding.
The support helped advance research that contributed to the development of blood-based tests for Alzheimer’s disease, an area that has become increasingly important as researchers and clinicians seek less invasive approaches to identifying disease-related biological changes.
Philip B. Verghese, PhD, senior vice president of research and development and laboratory operations at C2N Diagnostics, described his experience with BrightFocus funding as an important factor in his scientific development and the progress of the company’s diagnostic programs.
“BrightFocus Foundation’s postdoctoral fellowship was pivotal to my development, enabling me to pursue rigorous, high-risk research in neurodegenerative disease,” Verghese said.
He explained that the foundation’s support continued to play an important role later in his career, when he worked as co-principal investigator alongside Joel Braunstein, MD, MBA, to advance the development of Alzheimer’s blood tests.
At that time, the potential of plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease was not yet widely viewed as an achievable foundation for clinically available testing. Research into blood-based biomarkers required investigators to address substantial scientific challenges, including determining whether measurable biological signals in blood could provide meaningful information about Alzheimer’s-related pathology.
Verghese said BrightFocus provided timely financial support that helped sustain this research during a critical stage of development.
“Later, as co-principal investigator with Joel Braunstein, MD, MBA, BrightFocus’ timely support helped launch and accelerate the development of our blood tests at a time when plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease were not yet widely considered achievable,” he said.
The funding helped maintain momentum as the research moved toward clinical application, contributing to the development of tests including PrecivityAD® and PrecivityAD2®.
PrecivityAD2 represents a later-generation approach to Alzheimer’s blood testing. According to the foundation’s announcement, the test recently received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), marking an important milestone in the translation of biomarker research into clinical diagnostics.
The C2N Diagnostics example illustrates how early funding can support scientific work before a field becomes widely established. By helping researchers investigate promising approaches at an early stage, philanthropic grants can contribute to discoveries that eventually support diagnostic tools with potential clinical value.
Advancing Research Into Diseases of the Brain and Vision
BrightFocus Foundation supports research addressing three major areas of unmet medical need: Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
These conditions affect millions of people and can have substantial consequences for independence, quality of life, and healthcare systems. Alzheimer’s disease progressively affects memory and cognitive function, while macular degeneration can impair central vision. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve and may lead to irreversible vision loss if the disease is not detected and managed appropriately.
The foundation’s work focuses on supporting scientific investigations that could improve understanding of these conditions and create opportunities for better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
BrightFocus notes that approximately one in five Americans over age 40 is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, or glaucoma. The combined burden of these diseases underscores the importance of research that can identify underlying mechanisms, improve detection, and establish new therapeutic strategies.
Over the years, BrightFocus-funded research has contributed to discoveries across neuroscience and ophthalmology. These include the identification of genes associated with hereditary Alzheimer’s disease, research approaches that use the eye to detect changes related to brain health, and advances in optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging.
OCT has become a widely used imaging technology in eye care. The technique enables clinicians to obtain detailed cross-sectional images of retinal structures, supporting the diagnosis and monitoring of conditions such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Advances in imaging technology can help clinicians identify disease-related changes, evaluate progression, and make more informed decisions about patient management. Research into the relationship between ocular structures and neurological conditions may also provide opportunities to investigate whether changes observable through the eye can offer insights into processes occurring in the brain.
The foundation’s broader research portfolio demonstrates how early-stage support can contribute to discoveries across different areas of medicine. Some projects may lead directly to new diagnostic methods, while others establish fundamental knowledge that becomes valuable to researchers working on future treatments.
Although not every high-risk research project produces a breakthrough, funding multiple promising investigations can help expand the range of scientific questions being explored and create opportunities for unexpected discoveries.
More Than $330 Million Invested in Scientific Progress
Stacy Pagos Haller, president and chief executive officer of BrightFocus Foundation, emphasized that the organization’s research investments are made possible through contributions from individual donors and other supporters.
“BrightFocus funding begins with individual, grassroots donors pooling their dollars to force multiply for significantly greater impact,” Haller said.
She noted that the foundation has invested more than $330 million in research over the past five decades, with the goal of advancing science toward cures for diseases affecting the brain and vision.
“We’ve invested over $330 million in research over the past 50+ years with the singular mission of advancing science to find cures for diseases of mind and sight,” Haller said.
According to Haller, the independent assessment demonstrates how those investments can create a ripple effect that extends beyond the scientists who initially receive funding.
The benefits include opportunities for researchers to attract additional financial support, build productive collaborations, establish stronger scientific careers, and contribute to research that may ultimately benefit patients and the broader medical community.
The findings also highlight the role of philanthropic organizations in supporting research that might otherwise struggle to secure funding during its earliest stages. By investing in projects with significant scientific potential, foundations can help researchers establish the evidence needed to pursue more extensive investigations.
Survey Reveals Publications, Collaborations, and Clinical Research Outcomes
The impact assessment examined feedback from BrightFocus Foundation’s current and former grant recipients. The survey was distributed to 872 grantees and achieved a response rate of 31%.
The responses provided insights into how researchers used their grants, the scientific outcomes associated with the funding, and the broader effects on their professional development and research activities.
Publication was the most frequently reported outcome, with 80.8% of respondents indicating that their BrightFocus-funded work resulted in published research. Publications help communicate scientific findings, contribute to the evidence base in a particular field, and provide researchers with a foundation for future studies.
The most frequently reported type of discovery involved identifying new risk factors or methods for preventing disease. Such findings can help researchers better understand why certain conditions develop and identify potential opportunities for intervention before disease progresses.
The survey also demonstrated the value of BrightFocus funding in encouraging scientific collaboration.
Approximately 50% to 60% of respondents reported that their grants led to new collaborations, either within their existing research fields or across disciplines. These partnerships can bring together complementary expertise, research techniques, and perspectives, potentially helping investigators address scientific problems that would be difficult to resolve independently.
Collaboration across disciplines can be particularly valuable in Alzheimer’s disease and vision research, where progress may require expertise in molecular biology, genetics, neuroscience, imaging, data analysis, and clinical medicine.
The assessment further found that approximately 8% to 10% of respondents reported that their grants led to a clinical trial or observational study. These activities represent important steps toward evaluating potential interventions, understanding disease progression, or determining whether research findings can be applied in clinical settings.
In addition, approximately 7% to 11% of grantees reported filing a provisional or final patent or copyright. Intellectual property development can help establish pathways for further technology development, commercialization, and broader application of research discoveries.
The survey also found that 5% to 14% of funded projects resulted in a treatment or assessment protocol. Such protocols can provide structured approaches for evaluating diseases or implementing interventions and may support further research and clinical development.
These outcomes demonstrate that the impact of research grants can take multiple forms. While publications and scientific discoveries are important measures of progress, collaboration, clinical investigation, intellectual property, and the development of treatment or assessment protocols can also help translate research into practical applications.
Supporting the Next Generation of Scientists
Beyond scientific discoveries, BrightFocus funding appears to play an important role in sustaining the research workforce.
The assessment found that more than 93% of respondents reported continued retention in science, indicating that the foundation’s grants can help support researchers’ professional trajectories and continued participation in scientific work.
Research careers often involve periods of considerable uncertainty, particularly for early-career investigators who must compete for limited funding while building their laboratories, developing research programs, and establishing independent scientific reputations.
Early-stage grants can provide these scientists with resources to pursue promising ideas, generate preliminary data, publish their findings, and strengthen applications for larger research awards. This support may help investigators remain active in research during important stages of their careers.
Maintaining a strong scientific workforce is particularly important when funding conditions become unpredictable. Disruptions and uncertainty in U.S. federal research funding have increased concerns about the ability of scientists to sustain research programs and continue working in their chosen fields.
When researchers leave science, the consequences can extend beyond individual careers. Research institutions may lose specialized expertise, established collaborations, and years of accumulated knowledge. These losses can slow progress in areas where scientific advances depend on sustained investigation and experienced research teams.
By providing funding at critical stages, BrightFocus Foundation seeks to help researchers continue their work and build the foundations needed for future scientific progress.
The assessment suggests that supporting investigators and supporting discoveries are closely connected. Investments that help scientists remain in research can preserve expertise and sustain the development of ideas that may lead to future advances in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
Philanthropic Funding Strengthens the Research Pipeline
The findings from BrightFocus Foundation’s impact assessment highlight the potential value of philanthropy as a complement to government, institutional, and commercial research funding.
Early-stage grants can help bridge the gap between an initial scientific idea and a more developed research program. By supporting promising projects before substantial external investment becomes available, philanthropic organizations can help researchers demonstrate feasibility, generate evidence, and establish collaborations.
The reported eightfold increase in follow-on funding indicates that BrightFocus grants can serve as a starting point for broader financial support. However, the assessment’s findings are based on responses from participating grantees and should be understood in that context. The results demonstrate reported outcomes among respondents rather than guaranteeing that every grant will produce comparable funding or clinical advances.
For BrightFocus, the central objective remains advancing research into diseases that affect cognition and vision. Its three research programs continue to support investigators exploring new biological mechanisms, potential diagnostic approaches, risk-reduction strategies, and treatment possibilities.
The foundation’s experience also highlights the importance of sustained investment in research areas where discoveries may take years to reach clinical application. Scientific progress often begins with fundamental investigations whose eventual significance is not immediately apparent. Supporting those investigations can help create the conditions necessary for major advances.
BrightFocus Foundation’s independent impact assessment provides evidence of how early philanthropic funding can influence research productivity, collaboration, career development, and access to additional funding. From the development of Alzheimer’s blood tests to advances in eye imaging and disease biology, the foundation’s investments have helped researchers pursue questions with potential long-term benefits.
With more than $330 million invested over 53 years, BrightFocus continues to focus on accelerating discoveries that could improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and glaucoma.
The full impact assessment is available through BrightFocus Foundation’s website. The organization also encourages individuals interested in supporting research into diseases of the mind and sight to explore its giving programs and contribute to future scientific investigations.
About BrightFocus Foundation
BrightFocus Foundation is a premier global nonprofit funder of research to defeat Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Since its inception in 1973, BrightFocus and its flagship research programs—Alzheimer’s Disease Research, Macular Degeneration Research, and National Glaucoma Research—has awarded more than $330 million in research grants to scientists around the world, catalyzing thousands of scientific breakthroughs, life-enhancing treatments, and diagnostic tools. We also share the latest research findings, expert information, and resources to empower the millions impacted by these devastating diseases. Learn more at brightfocus.org.
About American Institute of Biological Sciences
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charitable organization dedicated to the use of science to inform decision making for the benefit of the science and society. Our staff members work to achieve the mission by publishing the peer-reviewed journal BioScience, by providing scientific peer review and advisory services to a wide variety of research organizations, and by collaborating with scientists, students, and institutions to advance public policy, education, and the public understanding of science.