A regular digest for UW faculty with updates on federal, national and local issues of relevance to their teaching, research and service; actions the University is taking; and ways for faculty to be involved.
State Landscape
Register now for a UW-hosted webinar on the state budget, Oct. 26
Learn the basics of how the UW’s state budget works during an online webinar hosted by the Office of the Provost from noon to 1 p.m., Monday, Oct. 26. In this high-level overview, leaders from the UW’s State Relations and Finance, Planning & Budgeting (FPB) teams will join me to provide an overview of the state budget and preview the upcoming legislative session which begins Jan. 11. The webinar will also cover the University’s legislative agenda and strategy, and how the UW community engages with elected state leaders.
The webinar, which will be recorded and posted online, requires a UW NetID to register and attend. Space is limited, so be sure to register ahead of time. A link to the webinar will be sent to all registered attendees by Friday, Oct. 23. Send your questions about the state budget in advance to provost@uw.edu, or submit them via chat during the webinar.
This is the first in a series of webinars that the Office of the Provost will host throughout the academic year to foster a common understanding of how the University structure works. The UW’s federal budget will be the topic of an upcoming webinar in November, and UW Medicine will be the focus of a webinar in winter quarter. The dates and times will be announced soon.
Leadership
Help shape the future of research at the UW
UW faculty, senior research staff, and research administrators can help shape the future of research at the UW by participating in a new Research Resilience and Transformation Network. The group will provide UW leadership with advice on emerging issues in research by identifying challenges and opportunities, guiding solutions, and working with existing and new partners to design and test improvements to the systems that support research. Learn more and find out how you can participate.
Computing and data science taskforce issues final report
The UW Taskforce on Computing and Data Science, appointed last year by the president and provost, has issued a final report on how the UW can build on its strengths in computing, data science and artificial intelligence, both as foundational fields and as capabilities that advance work across disciplines. Learn about the next phase of work.
New phase of Operational Excellence centers on transactional workstreams
As Operational Excellence moves to the next phase, the focus will be on the University’s transactional finance, research administration and informational technology workstreams. This work advances Pillar 4 of the UW Strategic Plan: stewarding and growing the people and resources that support our mission and strategic initiatives. Through January 2027, the assessment will produce a business case and phased roadmap for improving financial, research administration and IT services, with clear priorities, responsibilities and milestones. Read the latest here.
Community
Newest Big Ten ‘We Are Here’ ad debuts
The third ad in the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s “We Are Here” campaign made its debut during this past weekend’s slate of football games, highlighting how Big Ten universities have helped shape the nation’s history and are vital to its future. Big Ten universities and their alumni have made discoveries leading to new treatments and new technologies, as well as being leaders in fields ranging from arts and culture to spaceflight. Like the previous two ads in the series, which began in fall 2025, this spot was created by a team of staff from across the conference led by University Marketing & Communications here at the UW. It is being aired during Big Ten sporting events via the conference’s media rights agreements and on the Big Ten Network.
Support a cause that matters to you
The UW Combined Fund Drive is underway through Dec. 4, giving faculty and staff an easy way to support nonprofits and causes they care about through a one-time gift, ongoing giving or volunteer service. This year’s featured nonprofit is the American Cancer Society, but you can choose from thousands of participating organizations working in areas including research, education, hunger, the environment, animal welfare and more. Explore the 2026 UW Combined Fund Drive and find a cause that matters to you.
Key links
- Office of the Provost’s Federal Policy Updates
- UW Medicine’s Federal Policy Updates (UW NetID required)
- Office of Research’s Federal Policy Guidance
- UW Research Makes America
Tell us what you think
Resources for Researchers & Instructors
Open Access Week highlights scholarly publishing
International Open Access Week, which runs through Sunday, Oct. 25, is an opportunity for UW faculty to explore the evolving landscape of scholarly publishing, research dissemination, and knowledge sharing. Hosted by UW Libraries, this year’s events cover topics ranging from open educational resources and publishing support to grant compliance and the role of AI in scholarly communication. Faculty are encouraged to review the full schedule and participate in sessions that support their research, teaching and professional goals.
Open Enrollment starts Monday
From Oct. 26 to Nov. 23, PEBB benefits-eligible employees can make changes to their medical, vision or dental plans or enroll in the FSA, LFSA or DCAP for 2027. On Monday, look for your Open Enrollment action item in your Workday inbox and, if you make changes, submit them early so you don’t miss the deadline. See what you can change and decide whether you need to participate.
REMINDER: Open private funding opportunities for faculty, researchers
Faculty and researchers may search current open funding opportunities from private sources for their research and programs through a dashboard developed by the UW Corporate & Foundation Relations team.