The R. H. Heinlein’d sci-fi works make reference to the “Gravity Research Institute”-this was a real thing-it was set up by the early 20th century investment advisor Roger Babson.
Does it still exist?Has it made any breakthroughs in anti-gravity? How does one get a research grant fromit? 
According to Wikipedia the institute was plagued with being less than scholarly when their goal was to conquer gravity. Once they changed their goal to understanding gravity things, it would seem, got better. They have an annual essay contest and according to the article, Stephen Hawking has won it more than once.
If I’d got round to forking out the $5 (I will, I will, promise), I’d have searched for an old GQ thread on the subject. My Googling on that occasion suggested that the essay prize was still sort of in existance, but that was about it.
I probably also pointed out on that occasion that the associated Babson Institute Library in Wellesley remains one of the major research institutions for historical material relating to Isaac Newton. Babson may have been nuts, but he put together a great Newtonian collection.