RTI International

Legal name: Research Triangle Institute

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
560686338
IRS 990 coverage
2009–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
Phone
9195416000
Rating
79
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
General Science

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,254,259,534
Expenses
$1,244,098,919
Assets
$947,395,303
Liabilities
$408,394,050

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

36 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • T Gabel (President)
  • M Kaelin Jr (Vice President & COO)
  • P Weisenfeld (Vice President)
  • A Roussel (Vice President)
  • W Fairfax (Vice President)
  • J Elguera (Vice President)

Highest reported compensation

  • T Gabel (President): $1,823,892 total reported compensation
  • M Kaelin Jr (Vice President & COO): $1,231,929 total reported compensation
  • A Gallimore (Board Member): $1,212,129 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

RTI International is an independent scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. RTI implements and supports information systems across biomedical research, health sciences, and health care by applying a data governance perspective that addresses data standardization, harmonization, interoperability, security, access, and sustainability. Our combination of scientific research, IT expertise, technical capacity, and technical innovation help clients improve data access, usability, and compliance to solve the world’s most pressing public health issues. Cloud-shaped circuit module floats above glowing blue motherboard surface Data Analysis for Research: Groundbreaking Tools and Technical Innovations.

What it reported doing in 2024

RESEARCH: Multidisciplinary research & development and the application of science & technology in the areas of Health Research; Drug Discovery & Development; Education & Training Research; Survey Research Services; Statistics Research; Economic & Social Research; Advanced Technology Research & Development; Energy Research; Environmental Research Services; and Laboratory & Chemistry Services; See Schedule O for expanded description of these program services.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 97% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. A relatively small share of voting board members are independent and the filing reports few safeguards for money sent abroad.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 83
  • Accountability: 74
  • Sustainability: 39
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 89.3%; rating input score 89
  • Program expense ratio: 91.1%; rating input score 91
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.3%; rating input score 93; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 6 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: 1 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 12
    • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
    • Requires narrative reports: Fail
    • Conducts field audits: Fail
    • May suspend future funding: Fail
    • Requires financial reports: Fail
    • Conducts site visits: Fail
    • Requires grant agreements: Fail
    • May require repayment: Fail
  • Grant itemization coverage: 98.5%; rating input score 99; 35th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 55.6%; rating input score 56; 15th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 0.8%; rating input score 36; 36th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.76; rating input score 30; 30th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.43; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 1.2%; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 4.8% per year; rating input score 100; 38th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 4.1% per year; rating input score 100; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 5.1% per year; rating input score 100; 37th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 89.3% of revenue deployed · 91.1% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 10 of 18 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 2 filed program accomplishments · $1.1B in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $1.8M · 36 people listed · 6 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $55.9M reported
  • Consistency: 36 of 37 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, foreign activity, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 16 filing years from 2009 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 39 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 11 filed related-organization links
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Accountability: Independent voting board scored 56/100.
  • High — Transparency & Controls: Foreign activity oversight: 7 of 8 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 36/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 30/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.