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FAQs for equipment applicants

Application process

Please complete and submit the form on our Application page.

We do not accept applications in any other format. Please do not email proposals or equipment requests to us; they will not be reviewed.

You can expect to hear if your application has been selected to advance to the interview round by about 1 month after the nearest application deadline at the time you submit. All applicants will be notified of their status at that time.

If you are invited to move to the interview stage, we will provide additional information about decision timing.

Program fees & other costs

No, absolutely not. There is no monetary cost associated with the application process.

We ask only that applicants are ready and willing to pay the program fee if selected to participate in the program.

Unfortunately, no. The program fee is mandatory and covers a significant portion of our operating costs. We rely on these funds as a part of our annual budget and would not be able to keep the program running without them. We do not have additional funds available to subsidize these costs.

Our policies don’t prohibit this, but the design and timing of the program cycle make it difficult to meet the requirements of many external funders.

Specifically, we can’t provide a letter of support promising to work with you until you have been accepted to the program, and we can’t accept you into the program without a commitment to pay the fee. 

In addition, many external funders will want to know the contents of your shipment before they commit to paying for it. This is a reasonable requirement on their part but not compatible with how the program works, as none of us will know the contents of your shipment until you have completed equipment selection.

If you do intend to try to raise funds externally, please contact us at application@seedinglabs.org to discuss your plans before taking any public action that directly involves Seeding Labs, such as crowdfunding using our name or logo.

Probably. This can be arranged in most cases, but we’ll need to discuss the specifics prior to accepting payment to ensure legal compliance.

We invoice for the program fee when you begin selecting equipment (or earlier at your request). Payment is due after the end of the selection period, just prior to shipment.

So, yes, the contents of the shipment will be known before payment is due. If you are not satisfied at that point with the value of the shipment, you will have the option to cancel our agreement. We encourage you to do whatever you determine is in your institution’s best interest and ask only that you notify us promptly.

However, please note that the interval of time between when shipment contents are finalized and when payment is due will not be sufficient to navigate a protracted approval or application process. If the contents of your shipment must be known before the money for the program fee can be allocated, Instrumental Access is probably not a good fit for your institution.

It depends on your country’s specific import rules and regulations.

Many governments do offer waivers from customs duties for donations intended for educational and/or research purposes. If this type of waiver is available in your country, we will work with you to provide the documentation you need to apply for it.

We are not qualified to give legal advice, but we may be able to provide insight based on past experience of our awardees in specific countries upon request. In addition, we recommend that you check with your institution’s procurement office or other experts in your country for advice about the specific regulations that may apply to your situation.

Again, it depends on your country’s specific import rules and regulations. At a minimum, you will probably need to hire a customs clearing agent to clear the shipment through the port. Additional processes and associated fees, such as mandatory inspections or registrations, are possible in some locations.

Equipment and logistics

It depends on the item. We pass on to you everything that our donors provide to us, including accessories, software, spare parts, etc.

However, it isn’t always possible for donors to include everything necessary for use in the donation. In particular, software is often difficult for our donors to transfer, either because the licenses are non-transferrable or for information security reasons or both. 

We realize that “incomplete” donations are not ideal, and we are making every effort to address these issues where we can. However, we can only offer to our awardees what has been donated to us.

Further complicating the issue, for some items in our inventory, specific accessories and parts are designed to be customized to specific use cases. This means that the definition of “complete” can vary from one user to the next.

Any information we have about what is included with each item in our inventory will be available to you during equipment selection so that you can take these issues into consideration as you make your selections. In addition, our staff will be available to consult. If you have questions about specific items, please ask!

Yes. The total amount of equipment that each awardee can select is limited by two constraints:

  1. Volume. All of the items you select must fit into a 20-foot shipping container; and
  2. Points. We assign a “points” value to each item in our inventory based on our typical supply and demand, as well as its monetary value. For example, a case of consumables or glassware, might be valued at 5-10 points, while an HPLC system might be 500. Each awardee gets the same allocation of points to shop with. The purpose of this system is to ensure equal access and avoid excessive depletion of our inventory.

No, it is our policy not to provide a list of our available inventory until the selection window opens.

The reason for this policy is simple: to do so would be misleading. Our inventory changes on a weekly basis as equipment donations are received and shipments to other awardees are fulfilled. So what we have in the warehouse as you read this web page is not what will be available next week or next month, nor is it necessarily representative of what is “usually” available.

We always have a wide variety of equipment, glassware, and consumables in stock, but the exact composition of our inventory is always changing. Our staff can provide you with educated guesses about the likely availability of specific items based on historical donation patterns, but we can’t make any promises about availability until your selection window opens.

In most cases, yes. If the donor provides us with a paper copy of the manual, we’ll include it in the shipment. In addition, once we know the contents of your shipment, we will search for and compile electronic copies or links to the relevant manuals for the items in your shipment.

Seeding Labs carries insurance against any loss or damage that may occur during the shipping process while the shipment remains under our control. This type of damage should be reported within 10 days of receipt so that we can file a claim with our insurance provider.

Any damage that occurs after the shipment clears port would be your responsibility as the consignee.

Yes, you can participate, although you may need to budget for some additional freight costs.

If selected, we would work with you to identify the best shipping option for your specific location. If there’s a cost difference between that option and what it would have cost us to ship to the nearest ocean port via our normal process, we’ll ask you to pay the difference.

Possibly. We’ll do our best to accommodate your preferences to the extent possible, with the understanding that we will ask you to pay for any costs in excess of the best rates that our usual freight forwarders can provide.

Please note that the weight and volume of a typical shipment makes air freight prohibitively expensive in almost all cases.

If you choose to arrange and pay for your own international freight, we are open to negotiating a discount to the program fee specific to your situation.

Possibly. If you are accepted to the program, it’s likely that we can arrange for your source to donate the items to Seeding Labs with the understanding that those items will be reserved for your shipment.

However, as there are legal and practical constraints on this process, we would need to discuss the details of your particular situation before we can say for sure.

Yes. Our warehouse is located around 30 miles south of Boston in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, USA. Visits can typically be arranged as long as we have reasonable advance notice.

No, we don’t currently have the capacity to offer training or technical assistance within the Instrumental Access program. Awardees are solely responsible for equipment set-up, calibration, service, maintenance, and repair.

For videos of lab tips and tricks that may be of interest, please see our TeleScience platform.

Eligibility

The list of eligible countries is based primarily on the World Bank income classifications. Almost all countries that are classified as low- and middle-income by the World Bank or eligible for World Bank lending are eligible for Instrumental Access.

A small number of low- or middle-income countries are excluded from eligibility for legal reasons. Please see the next question for more details.

One of our core beliefs at Seeding Labs is that everyone should have access to the tools of modern science.

However, as a US-based NGO, we are bound by US law, which places a few limits on where we can operate. Current sanctions or other restrictions prohibit us from shipping to the following countries:

  • Burma
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • North Korea
  • Syria
  • Venezuela

We review the list of excluded countries annually, and our goal is always to move towards greater inclusiveness if at all possible.

One of our core beliefs at Seeding Labs is that everyone should have access to the tools of modern science.

However, as a US-based NGO, we are bound by US export law, which places a few limits on where we are allowed to operate. Specifically, current sanctions prohibit us from shipping to the following countries:

  • Burma
  • Cuba
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • North Korea
  • Russian Federation
  • Syria
  • Venezuela

We review the list of excluded countries annually, and our goal is always to move towards greater inclusiveness if at all possible.

No. Seeding Labs recognizes that valid needs for equipment may exist in other places, but Instrumental Access operates in eligible countries only.

Yes. You may apply again as long as your institution remains eligible under the current guidelines and you have sufficient additional need.

If the same department is applying for a second shipment, your application should include a clear explanation of your rationale for re-applying.

No. Individuals, lab groups, and research projects are not eligible to apply on their own. Applications can only be submitted on behalf of an eligible subdivision (usually an academic department), and it must be clear that the benefits would extend beyond a single individual, research group, or project.

Probably not. We ship full containers rather than individual items, and we’re looking for awardees with needs that align with what we can provide.

Also, the more specific your needs are, the less likely it is that we’ll have on hand the exact item you’re looking for when it’s your turn to select.

Instrumental Access is the best fit for institutions with diverse needs in the disciplines we support (biology, chemistry, and closely allied fields) who can make use of what we can supply: a shipping container full of equipment and supplies.

Other application questions?

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Bruce Walker, MD

Bruce D. Walker, MD
Founding Director, Ragon Institute

 

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Dr. Bruce D. Walker is a physician-scientist and T cell immunologist, the founding Director of the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT and Harvard, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Professor of the Practice of Medicine at MIT.  

Dr. Walker received a BS in chemistry in 1980 from the University of Colorado, Boulder, also attending the Swiss Federal Technical Institute (ETH), and his MD from Case Western Reserve University. He performed his internship and residency training in internal medicine at MGH and Harvard Medical School, where he also completed an internship in pathology and specialty training in infectious disease. He is a native of Boulder, Colorado, and is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious disease.  Together with Arlene Sharpe, he is also the co-director of the Massachusetts Consortium on Pathogen Readiness (MassCPR), a collaboration among more than 800 local scientists focused on pandemic preparedness from Harvard, MIT, BU, Tufts, UMass, the academic teaching hospitals, and the Department of Health in Massachusetts. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Walker’s laboratory studies T cell responses to chronic viral infections, using HIV as a model system.  His lab focuses on learning from patients to determine how the body fights back against viral infections using HIV as a highly relevant example, trying to uncover mechanisms by which it succeeds and, importantly, why it usually fails.  They study blood samples from persons with chronic HIV infection as well as from elite controllers, persons who are able to control HIV infection to undetectable levels without the need for antiretroviral therapy (ART).  His work extends to international collaborations, particularly with investigators at the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, where Dr. Walker helped catalyze the creation of two research institutes.  

Jonathan Spector, MD

Jonathan Spector, MD
Head of Global Health Strategy and Access, Novartis Biomedical Research

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Jonathan M. Spector MD MPH has practiced pediatrics and public health for 20+ years. His clinical activities span fieldwork with Médecins Sans Frontières in remote Africa to intensive newborn care at Massachusetts General Hospital. His interest in health systems fueled a portfolio of research at Harvard School of Public Health to support maternal and newborn health in low resource settings. As part of that work, he led the design and early testing of the World Health Organization’s Safe Childbirth Checklist. Jonathan later directed the opening of Lao Friends Hospital for Children, the first comprehensive pediatric medical center in northern Lao PDR. Now at Novartis, he leads portfolio strategy, partnering, and access-to-medicine solutions for the Novartis Global Health research unit—helping to bring novel therapies “bench-to-bedside” to address major unsolved health challenges.

Aravinda Souza

Aravinda Souza
Chief Marketing Officer, RefAssured and Seeding Labs Board Clerk

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Aravinda Souza is a communications and content marketing leader for high-growth, agile technology companies who value customer experience as paramount. She thrives on being a player-coach in high-performing, nurturing teams and prioritizing both speed and quality simultaneously. As a writer, speaker, researcher, and storyteller, and Vinda is passionate about communicating across all platforms.

Krish Ramanathan, PhD

Krish Ramanathan, PhD
Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Development, Gates Medical Research Institute

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Krishnan (Krish) Ramanathan is Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Development at the Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI), a nonprofit affiliate of the Gates Foundation, where he leads development programs for its drug and vaccine candidates. Krish has more than 25 years of integrated pharmaceutical and biotechnology experience, including leadership in development programs across vaccines and therapeutics. Prior to joining the Gates MRI, Krish served as Senior Vice President and Head of Immunology Portfolio & Assets at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicines R&D, where he led teams overseeing early- and late-stage development. Before joining J&J, Krish held leadership roles at Novartis spanning multiple therapeutic areas, leading teams to successful regulatory approvals. Krish holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He has a M.S.E. in Biomedical Engineering from John Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai.
Al Ozonoff, PhD

Al Ozonoff, PhD
Director of Pandemic Preparedness, the Broad Institute, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

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Al Ozonoff, PhD, CPPS is Senior Advisor to Dr. Pardis Sabeti and Chief of Staff of the Sabeti Lab. In these roles, he provides administrative leadership and senior scientific expertise across the full range of lab activities and research. He provides further programmatic support as the U.S. Director for the Sentinel Program. Al is Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and a faculty scientist within the Precision Vaccines Program at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Al applies his training in mathematics, statistics, epidemiology, and data science in pursuit of population-based improvement in the health of children and adults. His research focuses on the development and application of methods for surveillance of health and disease. As a surveillance methodologist, he is most engaged in areas of public health surveillance, infectious disease surveillance, and hospital-based surveillance with an emphasis on patient safety and healthcare quality.

Al’s graduate and post-doctoral training was in mathematics (University of California, Santa Barbara, under D. Darren Long) and biostatistics (Harvard School of Public Health, under Marcello Pagano). He has co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications throughout more than 20 years of research experience. He was Principal Investigator of two R01 grant awards: a 3-year project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) BioSense Program, “Improving syndromic surveillance by data integration” (R01 PH000021-02), and a 5-year project funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), “Patient safety surveillance using machine learning and free text clinical” (R01 HS026246-01A1).

As a leading expert during the early phases of the pandemic, Al led the Clinical and Data Coordinating Center for IMPACC, a national immunophenotyping study of COVID-19 funded by the National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease (NIH/NIAID). In 2016-17, he was one of 12 Harvard Medical School Fellows in Bioethics.

Outside of work, Al enjoys spending time with his family and learning from teachers in contemplative traditions. He has played semi-professional football for over 25 years, most recently with the Randolph Oilers of the East Coast Football League.

Michelle Niescierenko, MD

Michelle Niescierenko, MD
Director of the Global Health Program, Boston Children’s Hospital

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Michelle Niescierenko, MD, MPH is a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician, director of the Global Health Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and Health Specialist with Avenir Analytics. The Boston Children’s Global Health Program works to improve child health globally through partnerships for clinical quality improvement, education, research and advocacy in over 30 countries around the world. ??Avenir Analytics health focus on high quality humanitarian health systems interventions.

She has experience in pediatric care and program development in China, Bolivia, Lesotho, Guatemala, Liberia, Indonesia, Uganda, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Syria. In Liberia she provided pediatric humanitarian aid in the immediate post-conflict setting partnering local remaining infrastructure to US academic institutions for the last 10 years. Through these partnerships, sustainable programs for health system rebuilding including physician education and care for vulnerable children were developed in Liberia. During the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak she lead the Liberian hospital public health response utilizing a rapid deployment of training done by local healthcare workers. This work continued into Liberia’s recovery phase with implementation of a national program for hospital quality improvement and emergency care training. Her particular areas of interest are in the provision of healthcare in humanitarian settings through system development, the development of emergency care systems for children as well as the role of children in humanitarian crises.

Harvey Lodish

Harvey Lodish, PhD
Professor of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Founding Member, Whitehead Institute, and Seeding Labs Board Member

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Harvey Lodish has been a leader in molecular cell biology as well as a biotechnology entrepreneur for over five decades. Much of his early research focused on the regulation of messenger RNA translation and the biogenesis of plasma membrane glycoproteins. Beginning in the 1980s, his research focused on cloning and characterizing many proteins, microRNAs, and long noncoding RNAs important for red cell development and function. His laboratory was the first to clone and sequence mRNAs encoding many hormone receptors, mammalian glucose transport proteins, and proteins important for adipose cell formation and function. He went on to identify and characterize several genes and proteins involved in insulin resistance and stress responses in adipose cells. Over the years, he has mentored hundreds of undergraduates, PhD and MD/PhD students, and postdoctoral fellows, and continues to teach award-winning undergraduate and graduate classes on biotechnology. 

Chad Jackson

Chad R. Jackson, PhD
Senior Director of Preclinical and Translational Research, Foundation Fighting Blindness, Seeding Labs Board Chair

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Chad Jackson, PhD is a translational science executive focused on developing breakthrough therapies for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and other vision disorders. With a background in visual neuroscience (Ph.D., Emory) and over a decade of experience spanning the nonprofit, federal, and academic sectors, he specializes in advancing complex therapeutics—like gene therapies and regenerative approaches—from lab to clinic.

At the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Dr. Jackson leads a $50M+ portfolio of preclinical and early clinical-stage programs, including a first-in-kind $46M whole eye transplant effort funded by ARPA-H. His role blends scientific strategy, regulatory readiness, funding acquisition, and multi-site team leadership. He has conducted scientific due diligence for promising biotech startups, advised C-suite leadership on go/no-go decisions, and forged partnerships across academic labs, CROs, and government agencies.

Previously, he supported national R&D priorities through roles at DARPA, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the U.S. State Department. These experiences sharpened his ability to navigate federal innovation ecosystems and scale novel technologies for societal impact.

Ina Breuer

Ina Breuer
Executive Director, Network of Engaged International Donors

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Ina Jamuna Breuer is Executive Director of NEID Global, which is a national peer-to-peer learning community of global donors, social investors, and family foundations. NEID Global’s mission is to convene and empower donors to help address the world’s big problems and does so through 50 events per year, two Giving Circles focused on core issues of international development, and a bi-annual Symposium.

NEID offers its members a journey that helps them learn, connect, inspire, and act. This journey entails providing members access to experts, to other global philanthropists and to safe spaces to learn from each other.

Previously Ina was the Executive Director of Beyond Conflict, where she worked for 17 years to help leaders in the Middle East, Central America, Northern Ireland, the Balkans, and South Asia address difficult challenges relating to reconciliation and change. At Beyond Conflict Ina launched the Neuroscience and Social Conflict Initiative in 2008, which now forms the core of Beyond Conflict’s work and has led to a new area of inquiry at the intersection of brain science and conflict resolution. Prior to BC, Ina was the Assistant Director of the Transregional Center for Democratic Studies at the New School for Social Research in New York. In the early 1990s TCDS was a hub for dissidents from Eastern Europe and was focused on helping rebuild civil society and the political culture needed for democracies to flourish in the former communist region. Ina began her career at the Foundation for Civil Society, where she was involved in educational and environmental programming in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. She completed her studies at Northwestern University, the Free University of Berlin and the New School for Social Research.  Ina is a German citizen that was born and raised in India and South Korea. She recently also became a US national. 

Isabella Marti Headshot

Isabella Marti
Development Fellow

Isabella is a senior Endicott College student majoring in biology/ biotechnology from Dumont, NJ. She is passionate about safety, compliance, and access to various types of laboratory equipment. During her semester-long internship at Seeding Labs, Isabella will be standardizing and automating engagement efforts, supporting all phases of the donor cycle, and working hands-on with the fundraising team. 

Paul Hohenberger

Paul Hohenberger
Director of Individual Giving

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Paul is responsible for individual outreach to increase philanthropic support for Seeding Labs. He is an experienced fundraising professional with broad knowledge and understanding of resource development and advancement in major research universities and public trusts. 

In previous roles at The University of Massachusetts, MIT, Harvard University, and the Pew Charitable Trusts, Paul cultivated relationships within the philanthropic community, garnering support for programs and priorities spanning nuclear engineering, global health, climate science/energy, and demographic and survey research.

Paul’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is active in his alma mater, serving on the Department of Political Science Advisory Board, and was a former board member of the UMass Alumni Association. 

Additionally, he has completed professional certificate programs at the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and MIT, enhancing his expertise in policy, politics, and innovation.

Eaint Kyaw headshot

Eaint Kyaw
Logistics Intern

Eaint is currently a sophomore at Bunker Hill Community College, majoring in Biological Science with plans to transfer in the Fall of 2025. She is originally from Myanmar, a developing country where she has witnessed the challenges scientists face due to limited access to laboratory equipment. This experience has inspired her to contribute her skills and perspective to the Seeding Labs team in support of scientists in developing countries.

Jennifer Raymond

Jennifer Raymond
Director of Corporate Relations

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Jennifer builds and stewards Seeding Labs’ partnerships with corporations and other life science institutions. Our partners’ financial and lab equipment contributions help support universities and research institutions in under-resourced settings.


When these talented scientists, researchers, and educators have the resources they need to create and maintain strong scientific institutions, new solutions are created for both local development needs and global challenges.


Before joining Seeding Labs, Jennifer raised funds and engaged constituents for

the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Brandeis University. She graduated from Wellesley College with a BA in French studies.

Manisha Patel

Manisha Patel
Scientific Director

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Manisha uses her scientific expertise to implement the equipment-related aspects of Seeding Labs’ programs and plays a key role in Instrumental Access.

She provides support to Instrumental Access awardees, helping them choose the instruments that best meet their research and teaching goals. She also advises the Corporate Relations team on equipment that would be useful in our awardees’ labs.

Manisha has extensive experience in managing academic research labs with knowledge spanning lab setup, compliance, and equipment training. Most recently, she oversaw labs at Harvard University.

For the past decade, Manisha directed an undergraduate internship program focused on one of her passions:  diversity and inclusion in STEM. She holds a BS in ecology from Rutgers University and an MS in ecology from the University of Vermont.

Micaela Leaska

Micalea Leaska
Programs Specialist,
Metrics & Evaluation

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Micalea works with the Programs team to develop and implement metrics and evaluation tools, and to monitor the worldwide impact of Instrumental Access. She compiles and analyzes quantitative data and qualitative stories that exemplify our mantra, “talent is everywhere.”

Her prior work experience includes consulting for the World Bank, working on Water Security Assessments for Peru and Central America, and improving access to safe water in rural Ecuadorian communities with the nonprofit WaterStep.

Micalea holds a BA from Saint Michael’s College and completed her Master’s degree in Climate Change and Global Sustainability from SIT Graduate Institute, where she studied global science issues alongside scientists, stakeholders, and community members in Iceland, Tanzania, and Ecuador.

Chiudo Ehirim

Chiudo Ehirim
Instrumental Access
Consultant

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After completing an Atlas Corps Fellowship with Seeding Labs, Chiudo now provides support to our Instrumental Access partners from his Rumines Ltd. office in Lagos, Nigeria. Chiudo is CEO of Rumines, an environmental technology and management consulting company.

Prior to his fellowship, Chiudo was a country manager for Nigeria with Climate Scorecard, a US-based organization that monitors how the top 25 greenhouse gas-emitting countries implement the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Chiudo earned a BS in pure and industrial chemistry from the University of Nigeria and a Master’s of Science in environmental technology and management from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria.

David Borman

David Borman, PhD
Communications
Director

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David works to highlight the innovation and scientific successes of Instrumental Access awardees. In telling these scientists’ stories, he helps to show the global impact of the Seeding Labs mission.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, David worked as the alumni affairs director for Brevard College in North Carolina and managed communications for Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies, a nonprofit in Louisville, Kentucky, that provides services to children with special needs.

David earned his PhD in English from the University of Miami. He holds an MA in English from the University of Louisville and a BA in English from Bellarmine University.

Christine Srivastava

Christina Viola Srivastava

Vice President of Programs

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Christina is responsible for program development, planning, and implementation at Seeding Labs. 

Christina has experience as a research program evaluator and science policy analyst. She’s held roles with the consulting firm Abt Associates, Inc. and the Science and Technology Policy Institute.

Prior to entering the consulting world, Christina worked for the Boston-area nonprofits Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics and Urban Ecology Institute. She holds an undergraduate degree in biology from Swarthmore College

Rick Sherman

Rick Sherman

Vice President of Philanthropy

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Rick is responsible for the fundraising activities at Seeding Labs, engaging with corporations, foundations, and individuals to increase their financial and equipment donations to the organization.

Prior to joining Seeding Labs, Rick spent 17 years working in a similar capacity at a number of science-focused organizations, including Keystone Symposia, the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the Science History Institute).

Rick earned an MS in Finance from Drexel University, and a BS in Paper Science and Engineering from State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

David Qualter

Vice President of Operations

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David is responsible for global logistics at Seeding Labs, overseeing the efficient movement of lab equipment worldwide.

He joined Seeding Labs from Image Arts, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards, where he provided logistics direction for the company with $110 million in annual sales.

He brings 20 years of supply chain management experience with in-depth knowledge of international logistics, warehouse execution, and distribution center operations.

Originally an art student at Southeastern Massachusetts University, David now uses his creative talents to develop logistics strategies that produce operational efficiencies and quality customer service.

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Melissa P. Wu, PhD

Chief Executive Officer

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Please direct speaking requests to media@seedinglabs.org

Melissa is the CEO and a co-founder of Seeding Labs. She began as a volunteer leader of the Harvard Medical School student group; later, as a founding board member, she supported its transition to a nonprofit organization. In 2014, she joined the staff of Seeding Labs, leading the USAID-sponsored $3M scale-up of the Instrumental Access program. In 2019, Melissa became CEO, committed to increasing capacity for developing countries to use science. 

Operating with a deep belief in the power of science to transform lives, Melissa has dedicated her career to creating scientific research opportunities for historically underrepresented and excluded communities. In addition to roles at Harvard and the BioBuilder Educational Foundation, Melissa has mentored many students in the sciences through programs at the Journal of Emerging Investigators, Harvard University, Boston Children’s Hospital, and MIT.

Melissa earned a PhD in Cellular and Developmental Biology from Harvard University and holds an SB in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.