General FAQs
Yes! Applications are often stronger once revised, and we encourage you to try again.
If you previously won a Tier 1/Small Projects grant, we will consider an application that expands on this project. We are unlikely to award a large grant to the same PI multiple years in a row.
No, support letters or signatures from international/non-UW partners are not required.
Yes! UW Global has a broad view of what constitutes global research and learning. Projects that engage with local international communities or explore connections between the PNW and other parts of the globe are eligible. If you have questions about whether your specific project is a fit, please contact us.
Yes! Our only requirement is that your chair, director, or dean provides assurance in their letter of support that your contract will extend for the full length of the project.
Yes! However, you need to be able to server as the instructor of record (i.e. have an advanced terminal degree and have department affiliation). Alternatively, a staff member can be a collaborator on faculty-led-program, but in that case the faculty member should be the primary PI submitting the application. In either case, a letter of support is still necessary from the chair, director, or dean of the unit the program is taking place within.
Every application is reviewed and scored by a group of evaluators. These may be faculty or staff. While they will have a background in research, study abroad, or teaching, it is likely that their background will not be in your area of expertise. This means that you should avoid jargon and frame the significance and impact of your project in a way that will be legible to someone outside of your field.
Yes. We appreciate that some grants are narrow in what types of activities or outputs they will fund. If you are applying to fund a piece of a larger project, please make sure to explicitly explain how it fits in the larger project and why you are unable to fund this piece of the project with your current grant.
Royalty Research Fund (RFF) – Office of Research
Pilot Research Grants – Population Health Initiative
EarthLab Innovation Grants
Don’t see an opportunity that fits your project? Feel free to reach out to our research development specialist, Sara Katz: sarakatz@uw.edu
Budget FAQs
No, funds cannot be used to cover indirect costs and cannot count toward the departmental match/cost share.
No. This means that faculty or staff salary cannot be used as matching funds.
- For Research Awards, we strongly encourage but don’t require that departments cost share/matching funds at least 25% of the total project cost.
- Study Abroad and Study Away – 25% match preferred but not required.
- Teaching and Curriculum Awards – 25% match preferred but not required.
If you are having trouble securing funds, we encourage you to work with your department to identify other ways to find funding. Keep in mind that contributions from collaborating units on your project can also count towards the cost share/matching funds. However, we do appreciate that different departments have unequal access to funds, and this is often beyond the control of individual PIs. Our reason for preferring matching funds is that it demonstrates that your department is supportive of your project, and so even a small percent of matching funds is better than none. If you are unable to obtain cost-share, the letter from your department chair or dean should explain the circumstances for why this is the case.
The maximum amount provided toward a partner award is $20,000 (which includes 10k from UW, and 10k from the partner). The total cost of a project can exceed that value, so long as the remaining costs are covered through matching funds/cost share. For example, a project can cost $26,666 if you receive $6,666 of matching funds.
Funds can be used in cases of need. Please make sure you use the budget justification to explain why funds are necessary.
Yes, that is fine. For the budget justification on the application, please estimate how many hours of their time would be contributed to this project.
Yes. But please note that a project with a budget primarily filled by honorariums will unlikely be competitive.
This is where you clarify what the numbers you provided mean. The more details you can provide, the more it becomes clear that you have carefully thought through your project (and are thus likely able to execute it). For example, if you have budgeted an amount for catering a workshop, you should provide the estimated head count and the per person cost. If you have a line item for local travel within a country, explain what that local travel will entail, etc.
It should be very clear to reviewers how the funds are being spent and how you have calculated the listed amounts. For example, if you claim $1000 will be spent on catering for a workshop, you should explain how many people you anticipate will attend, what meal is being served, i.e. “We will provide lunch for an estimated 50 attendees at $20pp.”
Please use 40% of the rates recommended by the State Department. We appreciate that in some countries the State Department has only specified per diem for a small number of cities, with the category of “Other” to represent every city not listed, which sometimes underestimates specific locations. Likewise, holidays or high tourism seasons can impact costs. If you have reason to believe that 40% of the State Department rate is not adequate, please use the budget narrative to explain why.
Stays in one location lasting longer than 30 days are considered long-term travel and do not qualify for per diem rates or hotel lodging. For long-term travel we encourage you to find short-term housing with kitchen access so you can reduce costs, and list these costs (i.e. short term rental, groceries) in your budget rather than per diem. Certainly, if your project involves several short-term stays in different locations, that is still valid for a per diem.