Our federal partnership
Amid profound change for the country and the world, the University of Washington (UW) is leading the charge at the forefront of knowledge and workforce production, meeting complex social, geopolitical and economic challenges with innovation and direct impact. Each school and department at the UW remains steadfast in its pursuit of education and research, making unique contributions to the UW’s powerhouse of discovery, fueled by federal investment.
Only through consistent federal investment in fundamental science and scientific research could the UW and our nation discover and apply new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing or create life-saving medicines and treatments. The passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, which authorized billions of dollars for research agencies, reflects the understanding that investment in science and technology research is critical for American innovation and competitiveness. As exciting as the authorized funds are, in FY2027, we hope to see those authorized levels turned into appropriated funds.
By leveraging federal, state and private dollars, the UW is developing and fostering the next generation of leaders, thinkers and doers who are actively addressing the nation’s most complex challenges and accelerating innovation today while creating the advances, technologies and expertise of the future.
At the UW, we view federal support as long-term investments in the development of ideas, designed to pay significant dividends on both a national and a global scale. Thank you. Your continued support is invaluable, and as always, we strive to be responsible stewards of federal resources. The UW looks forward to partnering with the federal government in pursuit of mutual goals. The UW outlines the following federal agenda for FY2027.
Federal investment in education
Affordability & access
- 27% of UW undergraduates were eligible for Pell Grants in 2024–2025.
- 30% of undergraduates from Washington were eligible for the Husky Promise, which covers tuition and fees for WA students with financial need.
- The UW awarded more than $100 million in institutional grants and scholarships to Washington residents in 2024-2025.
- 70% of all UW undergraduates graduated with no known debt in 2024-2025.
- 28% of freshmen that started in fall 2025 are first-generation four-year-degree-seeking students.
- 75% of the UW’s 2025 incoming undergraduate class (including freshmen and transfer students) are WA residents.
Federal investment in education through Pell Grants, Federal Work-Study and policies that welcome international students and scholars allowed the UW to increase access to quality education with far-reaching impacts on the state of Washington and the nation. Due to investment in financial aid, such as Pell Grants, the UW has been able to scale its impact on the state: 75% of the incoming class across all three campuses are Washington residents because, at our core, the University was founded to educate the residents of Washington. Fall 2025 also welcomed the University’s largest and most diverse incoming class — 28% of students are first-generation college students and 19% belong to underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Our commitment to inclusion is not limited by borders. International students make up almost 10% of the UW’s total enrolled students, showcasing the attractiveness of U.S. higher education in Washington. The nation’s ability to remain competitive and innovative is inextricably linked with the quality of American higher education and dependent on our ability to attract the best minds, regardless of origin. For the UW to ensure excellence, it is imperative that Congress take steps to maintain the free flow of ideas, whether by funding proven access programs such as Pell Grants, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) and TRIO or through robust funding of Title VI international-education programs. Just as importantly, the past several years have shown more than ever that a comprehensive overhaul of the immigration system is long overdue.
Too many talented people, including individuals eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), have been caught up in the current set of piecemeal rules and regulations. The ongoing uncertainty for the future of DACA is causing frustration and confusion for students and their families, while severely jeopardizing the country’s competitiveness for retaining U.S. talent. This uncertainty must be met with congressional action through immigration reform that permanently protects DACA-eligible individuals as well as strong H-1B visa and Optional Practical Training programs, and that revises the outdated visa processing system. As a global university, we can bridge differences by bringing ideas and perspectives together to create a more prosperous future for all.
We urge Congress to improve our international-engagement abilities by reducing visa processing times for students and visiting scholars; enacting permanent, positive solutions for DACA-eligible recipients and their families; reaffirming our ability to welcome and engage in global discourse through international students and scholars; and creating an equitable and fair green-card system. In short, we ask that Congress and the administration come together in 2026 to take up and pass a comprehensive immigration-reform package that will benefit both the education and research missions of the University, which, in turn, will benefit the country as a whole.
More specifically, the UW asks Congress to:
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- Continue to invest in students directly by generously funding programs such as Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work-Study, which make higher education a more viable possibility for financially disadvantaged students.
- Support increased access and talent development through robust funding for TRIO and GEAR UP, as well as programs funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) designed to increase pathways for students from groups that have historically been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degree programs.
- Reestablish a welcoming environment with sensible safeguards for students, scholars and visitors from around the globe by comprehensively reforming and creating a sensible immigration system. Only a comprehensive fix will address the shortfalls that exist in a host of critical and linked provisions and programs of importance to the UW and the nation alike, such as student and scholar visas (F-1, J-1), employment-based visas (H-1B, Optional Practical Training and green cards) and permanent protection for DACA-eligible students and employees. The United States has benefited immeasurably from the contributions of international students and scholars, and we have seen that piecemeal approaches to fixing different programs do not work. We ask for a comprehensive review of the system.
- Reinvest in and strengthen Title VI and Fulbright-Hays, as they are the federal government’s most comprehensive international-education programs. Graduates of these programs are essential to our diplomatic, defense, commercial and educational interests, as well as interests in many other areas of society.
Federal investment in research
We thank Congress for its continued support of federal research funding and urge continued critical investments in basic and applied science in a broad spectrum of fields across all federal research–supporting agencies and directorates. In FY2027, we strongly encourage Congress to deliver on the promise of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act by fully funding its provisions.
Research at the UW
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- The UW receives more federal research dollars than any other U.S. public institution. In FY2025, the UW received $1.74 billion in total research awards, from federal and nonfederal sources.
- More than 258 specialized research centers are housed at the UW. UW research supports and sustains 10,641 jobs statewide.
- The UW has over 215 global partnerships across 50 countries, including over 49,000 co-authored international publications.
The UW continues to view support for the NIH as our top federal funding priority and the NSF as our second-highest priority. Each college and school across the UW has a grant funded by either the NIH or NSF, and most have significant funding from both agencies. In FY2025, the UW received $680 million from the NIH, making it our largest single federal funding source, and nearly $150 million from the NSF.
NIH and NSF funding has allowed the UW to deliver impressive results across a range of disciplines, including exciting new AI and quantum research developments. Rapidly accelerating quantum technology has enormous potential, from healthcare breakthroughs to clean energy solutions, and the UW remains at the forefront of this field. The work of the Northwest Quantum Nexus, bringing together researchers, companies, and government partners to build a sustainable quantum economy rooted in the Pacific Northwest, is just one example of the enormous benefits of federal investment in accelerating this technology. Only through sustained federal support can the United States retain its position as a leader in scientific innovation and benefit from the subsequent economic growth.
Over the past year, research institutions have faced an unprecedented level of uncertainty in federal investment, as the administration directed federal agencies to freeze or terminate active research grants. These proposed cuts threaten to stall the progress of thousands of ongoing projects aimed at improving the lives of all Americans. Maintaining federal investment in research is not simply about monetary investments. Research programs need time, sustained resources, and infrastructure support to mature and succeed. These changes create an environment of instability that threatens to undermine decades of progress. In 2026, the UW urges Congress to protect robust funding for these agencies.
The UW fully recognizes that access to federal resources and the ability to welcome individuals from around the world are privileges, and we understand the associated national security responsibilities related to the research enterprise.
The UW is working with the federal government and colleagues across higher education to be proactive in reinforcing existing or establishing new protections and processes to educate faculty, students and staff on potential risks; promoting best practices for compliance with current federal and state disclosure requirements; and protecting our mutual intellectual property and future economic opportunity. We urge Congress to instruct federal agencies that sponsor research to further collaborate, share information and develop best practices to recognize threats and protect federal and university investments in intellectual property.
In addition, we urge the federal government to continue to develop a holistic data-reporting framework that is user-friendly for institutions and end users of data. Institutions of higher education are accustomed to submitting substantial volumes of data to systems such as the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, and we agree that the integrity of our nation’s scientific enterprise warrants transparency regarding our global engagements and contracts. This means the creation of a rational and logical government-wide system, not one that requires each agency to develop its own just for the sake of creating a unique system. Rather, agencies should create an interagency system that allows for data sharing to the greatest extent possible. The renowned excellence of American higher education is not possible without a healthy and welcoming environment for all students and scholars. Access to and the sharing of ideas is fundamental to the fabric of progress.
In addition to support for scientific research, federal efforts that bolster additional resources —financial, programmatic, and professional — for individual student, faculty and staff success are fundamental to our long-term national security, economic growth and prosperity. Scientific progress and societal advancement are not possible without fostering student and early-career development and talent.
The UW is committed to fostering an environment that encourages the expression of a range of ideas and opinions by upholding the right to free speech. As an institution of higher education, we are committed to demonstrating how disparate viewpoints can peacefully coexist in an environment where every member of the community feels welcome, safe and supported. To create this environment, the UW is united to combat all forms of bias and discrimination and strives to ensure that the UW is an inclusive, diverse and welcoming community to all its members regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, economic status, nationality or length of time at the University. Assault, harassment and discrimination have no place on our campuses or in our nation.
More specifically, the UW asks Congress to:
- Maintain robust funding and support sustainable increases for the NIH and NSF, as well as other federal scientific research agencies and directorates such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and to continue to invest in critical resources for STEM scholarships, fellowships, and traineeships.
- Fully fund the authorized increases called for in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act for research agencies, including the NSF, the NIH, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and invest in critical resources for STEM scholarships, fellowships and traineeships.
- Reduce duplicative and costly administrative reporting burdens by creating single automated systems and digital platforms to streamline reporting, ensure adherence to regulations, and provide clear, accessible records, thus supporting accountability while reducing the administrative load.
- Invest in next-generation research areas, such as AI and quantum sciences. Quantum sciences include a host of facets and research areas, including but not limited to: information science, sensing, computing, communication and encryption. Investing in these cutting-edge science opportunities will help us advance and integrate research, education, and commercialization across our community. The investment will also foster new collaborative initiatives, nurture our vibrant quantum science and AI ecosystems, and educate students for a quantum-ready society.
- Continue to invest in undergraduate and graduate research and support programs that engage all students, especially those from traditionally underrepresented populations, in meaningful basic and applied research opportunities. Undergraduate and graduate research is workforce development. The skills learned in a lab are what employers desperately need immediately. Research funding is workforce development.
Indirect Costs
As noted, research institutions face complex administrative hurdles on top of funding uncertainty, particularly regarding indirect costs. These very real costs include building maintenance, supporting secure data storage, and ensuring compliance with federal research requirements. Recognizing their importance in enabling breakthroughs in science, technology, and medicine, the federal government funds a share of these indirect costs so that research may continue. Currently, indirect cost reimbursements are negotiated between individual research organizations and federal research agencies. Proposed federal caps on these costs threaten the ability of American research institutions to sustain their projects. Therefore, a simple and transparent model is needed to pay for the essential costs that are necessary to perform world-class research on behalf of the federal government.
The Financial Accountability in Research (FAIR) model is a new approach to federal reimbursement for indirect costs. Developed by the Joint Associations Group on Indirect Costs (JAG) of which UW is a member, this model reflects months of public engagement and analysis by experts in policy and research finance across higher education. Key features of this model include improving transparency to policymakers and the public, making funding more equitable by accounting for regional cost differences, and simplifying the cost recovery process. By modernizing this process, the FAIR model strengthens both public trust and the federal government partnership, while better supporting researchers to devote their time and resources on delivering innovation and discovery for the American people.
The FAIR model is an alternative to the arbitrary 15 percent cap on indirect cost rates that has been proposed by the NIH, NSF, DOE, and DOD. This arbitrary cap fails to provide sufficient coverage of essential research costs for research programs, which ultimately degrades America’s research innovation and global competitiveness.
The UW joins JAG, and numerous other associations and institutions, in supporting the FAIR model and encourages its codification into law in 2026.
Initiatives
For years, we have been focusing our collective efforts through two specific initiatives, Population Health and Race & Equity, as these two foci have been at the forefront of our social and political consciousness. As the world continues to recover from the pandemic, our initiatives are providing answers and strategies for a resilient recovery while also helping the country be better prepared for future global shocks. These initiatives showcase what the UW has been able to accomplish as a partner with the federal government.
Learn more about the UW Race & Equity Initiative
The UW’s Population Health Initiative
While today’s global challenges are monumental and those of the future unpredictable, the UW remains committed to defying the odds and conventional thinking to tackle them. One area that exemplifies the UW’s unique approach to problem-solving is our 25-year Population Health Initiative. This multi-decadal effort seeks to address the intersecting factors that influence the health and well-being of our planet and our global population. In classrooms, clinics and communities, the initiative takes a holistic approach by bringing together students and faculty from countless disciplines to improve human health, sustain our environment and promote social and economic equity.
The initiative’s activities are directed toward diverse yet interconnected challenges. UW researchers are analyzing issues around community resilience to extreme nature events caused by climate change; addressing systemic food and water insecurities; reducing the rate, burden and racial disproportionality of disease; and improving health in our rapidly changing world. Together with community groups, the initiative is transforming this research into concrete actionable plans to improve the health and well-being of people at both the local and global scale. The Population Health Initiative has been a leader in conducting research on the pandemic’s effects on food insecurity, housing insecurity and vaccination inequity, in order to provide insight on how these effects can be mitigated in the future through more effective and resilient systems.
Every day, we find tremendous hope in how the UW community pulls together to listen, learn, act and improve the world. Together we are ready for whatever tomorrow might bring.
UW stories of impact
Read about the people, places and programs that drive the University of Washington’s faculty, staff and students to work for a world of good.
Saving real lives with artificial intelligence
Better treatments for cancer, autoimmune diseases, viruses, and more are on the horizon thanks to AI-powered work from the UW’s Institute for Protein Design, founded and led by Professor David Baker, a winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
ShakeAlert System sends early earthquake warning alerts
Housed within the UW College of the Environment, the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network showcases the benefits of collaboration between universities, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the states of Washington and Oregon.
3D imaging and AI for better cancer surgery outcomes
ARPA-H projects aim to build on and test technologies to help surgeons remove tumors more precisely and efficiently.
Kren Engineering-based Medicine Initiative (KEMi)
In its inaugural year, the Kren Engineering-based Medicine Initiative establishes a joint institute between the College of Engineering and UW Medicine to promote collaborations between clinicians and engineers to transform the future of heath and healthcare.
Accelerating a quantum future
The UW has deep roots in quantum research and discovery. Two UW scientists have earned the Nobel Prize in Physics for quantum research, and the UW is one of a growing number of universities across the globe with quantum information programs. Thanks to partnerships with industry including Microsoft, Boeing, Google and Amazon, and with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), College of Engineering and College of Arts & Sciences researchers have been working to accelerate quantum research and teaching. In doing so, they are helping to situate the UW and Washington state as a leader in this area.
One Ocean Week showcases UW strength in marine science
The inaugural One Ocean Week drew hundreds of people to Seattle to discuss marine ecosystems, the seafood industry, shipping and renewable energy, and more. University of Washington scientists joined policymakers, educators and industry leaders to define and address priorities in stewardship and ocean science.
Helping to restore tribal fishing stocks by harnessing satellite data to determine river temperatures
Using advanced computing and machine learning, UW’s Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering has devised a way to extract remote river temperatures from NASA satellite images. This website creates a new tool for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, which helps to manage the fishery in the Columbia River, the largest watershed in the Pacific Northwest.
After schools instituted universal free meals, fewer students had high blood pressure, UW study finds
UW-led studies explored the benefits of universal free school meals, finding that students were less likely to have high blood pressure, a promising sign that free school meals are a powerful tool for improving public health.
UW plays a critical role in the region’s economic drive
The University of Washington has helped put Seattle on the map as a key player in the nation’s technology economy.