Stowers Institute for Medical Research

The Stowers Institute for Medical Research was incorporated with an initial donation of $50 million (which is up to $2 billion today) in 1994 by James E. Stowers and his wife Virginia Stowers, cancer survivors and founders of American Century Investments.

Description
The Institute funds scientists who conduct basic research on the genes and proteins that control the fundamental processes of living cells. The Institute opened its doors in November 2000 in Kansas City, Missouri, on the former site of Menorah Hospital. In 2006, there were 20 independent research programs plus core facilities in bioinformatics, proteomics, microarray, molecular biology, and imaging. In total, there were around 300 scientists, research associates, technicians and support staff. The Stowers' plan for the Institute includes a 600,000 square-foot expansion every decade, in perpetuity.

The first expansion is set for completion in 2009, with the approval of the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiativein November 2006. The Institute is recognized by the IRS as a medical research organization, it is a Missouri not-for-profit corporation, and is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.