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Letter from the VPR
Colleagues,
This summer, Vice President and Director of Athletics Jon Haarlow and Head Football Coach Kirby Moore invited me to speak with football recruits and their families. At the event, Coach Moore shared his key message for the young players that immediately resonated with me: chase two dreams, one on the football field and another for what comes after football.
I was struck by how well that idea balances the present and the future, asking us to commit fully to today’s opportunities without losing sight of what’s next and our ability to juggle both.
In fact, the mindsets behind exceptional research and athletic excellence are remarkably similar: discipline, preparation, resilience, teamwork, and the understanding that setbacks are often the beginning of future success. And it feels especially relevant today. We must remain focused on the work before us while continuing to build the future we want to create.
We ended FY26 down 25% from FY25 in total award funding, driven by a 32% drop in federal awards. All federal agency awards were reduced relative to prior years, with USDA being the most significant at 46% down from the five-year average. With this decline in awards, we also saw F&A revenues drop by 10%.
More than 200 WSU proposals remain pending with federal agencies, many for more than nine months. And new federal policies continue to reshape the research landscape especially in relation to research security and collaboration requirements. (As a reminder, please complete your research training and expect changes soon in the level of information necessary to process awards.)
Yet our future is not something that simply happens to us. Across the university, we are actively shaping it through strategic partnerships, thoughtful planning, system redesign efforts, and key engagement in policy discussions. In recent months, we signed an MOU with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories to explore a wildfire consortium focused on responding rapidly to industry and community needs. We also worked with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to identify shared strategic priorities innuclear materials characterization and advanced grid controls. At the same time, WSU’s External Affairs and Government Relations (EAGR) and Office of Research (OR) partnered to submit responses to major federal policy and grantmaking changes proposed by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as fundamental changes to government-wide guidelines by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
None of these efforts eliminate today’s challenges. But they do position us to navigate them thoughtfully while creating opportunities for the future. And as we begin the academic year, I find myself returning to Coach Moore’s advice to chase two dreams.
For researchers, one dream is the work immediately before us: mentoring students, building partnerships, and securing funding. The other is the future we are creating through our discoveries and innovations.
Our current environment demands realism and adaptability. But it also requires vision. While we cannot control every challenge before us, we can control how we respond and how we move forward together.
Thank you for all you do to advance research, scholarship, and creative activity across WSU. I look forward to what we will accomplish this year.
Go Cougs!
Kim Christen
Vice President for Research
Events
Overview of Office of Research Seed Grants
Learn about WSU internal seed grant opportunities designed to support research, scholarship, and creative activity across a range of disciplines. On Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 2:00–2:30 p.m., the Office of Research will provide a brief overview of available funding programs, eligibility, timelines, and tips for preparing a competitive application. Whether you’re exploring a new research direction or looking to build toward external funding, this is a great opportunity to learn which programs may be the best fit for your work. Please RSVP for the Zoom link.
WSU Grant Proposal Basics
The Office of Research will guide you through the key stages of the WSU grant process, including PI roles, eREX approval, and proposal submission. Join the Office of Research on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 2:00–2:45 p.m. Please RSVP for the Zoom link.
SciENcv Simplified: Creating Compliant Biosketch and CPOS Documents
Federal agencies now require senior personnel to create Biosketches and Current and Pending Support (CPS) documents through the SciENcv platform, but getting started can feel overwhelming. Join the Office of Research on Thursday, September 17, 2026, from 11:00–11:30 a.m. for a practical demonstration of SciENcv, and leave with the knowledge you need to confidently prepare your required documents. Please RSVP for the Zoom link.
Funding Opportunity
Cannabis Research Center Graduate Student Travel Awards The Cannabis Research Center (CRC) is issuing a call for graduate student travel awards to support students presenting cannabis research at cannabis conferences. This is primarily intended to support students planning to attend the National Cannabis Research Conference (NCRC) in San Diego this October; however, other cannabis conferences will be considered. Priority will be given to graduate students with accepted oral presentations at prestigious national or international conferences. Students who have been accepted to give a poster, students who have been accepted to present at a regional conference, and students whose submissions are planned or under review will be considered (pending availability of funds). Priority will be given to students who have not yet received travel assistance from the CRC (formerly CCPRO). Funding will be dispersed after abstracts are accepted and travel is completed. Proposals are due by Tuesday, September 15, with travel awards given up to $1500. Visit the Graduate Travel Awards page for more information.
Policy Updates
Notice of Radiation Inspection Audit Results
An administrative policy update is being implemented regarding Radiation Safety Inspection Audits. Effective immediately, deans and associate deans for research (ADRs) will be copied on radiation safety inspection reports issued to researchers. Radiation safety inspections evaluate up to 27 distinct elements of a radiation safety program, and findings may be categorized as informational, items of concern, deficiencies, or regulatory violations. For more information, please refer to the Radiation Protection Program Manual.
Information Updates
Software IP FAQ
The Office of Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship team recently updated their Software IP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with guidance on all forms of intellectual property (IP) protection in the context of software tools. WSU researchers and programmers developing software are encouraged to reach out with questions and to discuss advancing projects out of the lab. And, if you are ready to formally disclose a WSU innovation, please use the Inventor Portal.