Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
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| Founders | Alfred Pritchard Sloan Jr. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1934 |
| Headquarters | New York, NY |
| Staff | Paul L. Joskow |
| Focus | Research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and economic performance |
| Method | Grantmaking |
| Endowment | US$1.8 billion |
| Website | www.sloan.org |
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a philanthropic non-profit organization in the United States. It was established in 1934 by Alfred P. Sloan, Jr., then-President and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors.
The Foundation's programs and interests fall into the areas of science and technology, standard of living, economic performance, and education and careers in science and technology. The total assets of the Sloan Foundation have a market value of about US$1.8 billion.[citation needed]
In the 1950s, the foundation commissioned a series of educational animated short films through Warner Bros. Animation and directed by Friz Freleng that illustrate basic elements of capitalism. This series includes By Word of Mouse (1954), Heir-Conditioned (1955) and Yankee Dood It (1956).
In 2000 the Sloan Foundation initiated a national program to prevent bioterrorism that has evolved to address general terrorism preparedness, and has made 40 grants totaling over $17 million. Other projects recently sponsored in whole or in part by the Sloan Foundation are the Encyclopedia of Life, Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Census of Marine Life, which includes the Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS).
The Sloan Work and Family Research Network at Boston College supports research and education about work-family issues. The Sloan Fellowships are annual awards given to more than 100 young researchers and university faculty, to further studies in science, economics, neuroscience, computer science, and molecular biology. In March 2008, the foundation announced a $3 million donation to the Wikimedia Foundation, publishers of Wikipedia.[1]
The foundation also supports the Sloan Fellows program, a mid-career Masters' degree in General Management, targeted at experienced managers who have already demonstrated a significant degree of career success (either within organizations or as entrepreneurs).
Under the auspices of enhancing the public understanding of science and technology, the Foundation has awarded a series of grants to filmmakers since 2003. One example is the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, which rewards filmmakers who make films that focus on science or technology as a theme, or depicts a scientist, engineer, or mathematician as a major character. The current monetary value of the award is $20,000. The Foundation gives similar grants at the Hamptons Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival. The Foundation also provides "Film Development" grant awards for screenplays that fit its stated mission, "to create and develop new scripts about science and technology and to see them into commercial production at the major studios and networks."[2]
Current board members include Harold T. Shapiro Professor of Economics and Public Affairs Princeton University and Robert M. Solow, who won the Nobel Prize in economics in 1987.
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