{"id":17852,"date":"2025-10-08T09:13:39","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T16:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/?page_id=17852"},"modified":"2026-03-06T09:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T17:50:20","slug":"track-3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/funding\/internal\/big-ideas-initiative\/track-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Track 3: Enterprise Partnerships for Transformative Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Funding Available<\/strong>: Up to $300,000 total<br><strong>Award Size<\/strong>: $50,000 \u2013 $150,000 per award<br><strong>Number of Awards<\/strong>: 2 \u2013 6 awards<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span>This track is designed to <b>catalyze industry collaborations<\/b> and move WSU research toward market-ready applications. Projects may focus on:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Joint research with private sector partners (e.g., biomanufacturing, aerospace, ag-tech)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early-stage startup development and IP commercialization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Development of fee-for-service capabilities in existing cores\/testbeds<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Applied AI solutions with enterprise applications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Proposals should demonstrate a clear value proposition for both WSU and the enterprise partner, with defined pathways to commercialization, licensing, or scalable deployment. Teams are encouraged to leverage existing industry relationships or initiate new ones that align with Washington\u2019s innovation ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Successful proposals will articulate how the research will translate into economic or societal impact, including job creation, technology transfer, or enhanced regional competitiveness. Projects that show potential to attract follow-on investment or external funding will be prioritized for funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Answers to frequently asked questions about the Big Ideas Initiative have been collected at the page linked below:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-cta \" >\n\t<a \t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/funding\/internal\/big-ideas-initiative\/faq\/\"\t\n\t\tclass=\"wsu-button \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"wsu-icon wsu-i-bookmark\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\n\t\tFrequently Asked Questions\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Funding Terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Teams must <strong>meet with the Office of Research\u2019s Innovation and Entrepreneurship team <\/strong>within 45 days of award notice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Awardees must submit a <strong>milestone-based project plan<\/strong> within 30 days of the award start. This date can be flexible with prior approval from the Office of Research (OR).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The timeline for work under the project can be <strong>up to 15 months<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>6-month progress check-in<\/strong> with OR is required to assess commercialization readiness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Within twelve months following funding completion, awardees are expected to <strong>document measurable impacts <\/strong>such as job creation, technology transfer, follow-on funding, or new enterprise partnerships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mid-term and final reports <\/strong>are required, and should detail progress toward impact, engagement outcomes, and next-step funding. Reports will include any resulting external proposals or awards, publications, academic outcomes, intellectual property produced, faculty or staff training, or conferences\/symposia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Eligibility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WSU faculty or research staff with an active industry partner or with a plan for commercialization and IP development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Key Evaluation Criteria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Market potential or commercial pathway<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strength of industry or enterprise partnership<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>ROI or revenue generation potential<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plan for leveraging additional funding (SBIR\/STTR, licensing, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Deadlines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Event<\/th><th>Date<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Letters of Intent Due<\/td><td>November 10, 2025<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Full Proposals Due<\/td><td>February 2, 2026 at 9am<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Applicants Notified &amp; Awards Announced<\/td><td>March 2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Funding Start Date<\/td><td>April 2026<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Required Letter of Intent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A letter of intent (LOI), due November 10, is required prior to submission of a full proposal. If the project outlined in the LOI is found to be within the scope of the program and track, the PI will be invited to submit a full proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The LOI will be submitted via online form and must include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Principal and co-investigator information and roles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Research administrator&#8217;s name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Project Title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Project description\n<ul>\n<li>500 word limit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>List of collaborators (pending or confirmed)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-cta \" >\n\t<a \t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/funding\/internal\/big-ideas-initiative\/loi-submission\/\"\t\n\t\tclass=\"wsu-button \">\n\t\t\t\n\t\tSubmit Letter of Intent\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\">Application<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Applications are accepted via a web form. See Detailed Proposal Instructions below.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wsu-cta \" >\n\t<a \t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/funding\/internal\/big-ideas-initiative\/track-3\/proposal-submission\/\"\t\n\t\tclass=\"wsu-button \">\n\t\t\t\n\t\tSubmit Application\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<section  class=\"wsu-section wsu-spacing-top--xsmall\" id=\"instructions\" >\r\n        \n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading  wsu-heading--style-marked\" id=\"instructions\">Detailed Proposal Instructions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, be succinct and explicit.&nbsp;Proposals that are not complete or have not followed the provided instructions will not be reviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Format and Preparation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>12-point font size and 1\u201d margins <strong>only<\/strong>. Use <strong>plain language understandable to someone outside of your field<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Proposal Elements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Follow the links below to jump to the instructions for that element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\" wsu-list--columns-1\">\n<li><a href=\"#abstract\">Non-Technical Abstract<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#narrative\">Proposal Narrative<\/a> (no more than five single-spaced pages)\n<ul>\n<li>Background<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Objectives and Significance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Methodology and Assessment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facilities and Resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Timeline and Milestones<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Future Funding Strategy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Project Team<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#refs-cited\">References Cited<\/a> (two pages max)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#current-past-support\">Current, Pending, and Past Support<\/a> (two pages max)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cv\">CV or Biographical Sketch<\/a> (two pages max)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#letters\">Letter(s) of Support<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#budget\">Budget and Justification<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"abstract\">Non-Technical Abstract<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Maximum length: 250 words<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using <strong>plain language understandable to someone outside of your field<\/strong>,&nbsp;summarize the proposed project describing project goals, why it is important, and how you will achieve your objectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The abstract will be submitted in a PDF document along with your Proposal Narrative and References Cited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"narrative\">Proposal Narrative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Maximum length: 5 single-spaced pages, inclusive of tables, charts, and other graphics<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Title and prepare each section as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Background:<\/strong> Explain the problem or project to be pursued and the expected outcome. Describe the technical or market gap that the partnership will seek to fill. What special capabilities, training, or ability do the PI and collaborators bring to the execution of the proposed project?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objectives and Significance: <\/strong>This section should be an explicit statement of the objectives to be achieved. Describe the technology or other intellectual property at the center of the partnership. Discuss its degree of readiness for commercialization as well as its potential impact when commercialization is achieved (in whatever form that may take). If your project is focused on a private-sector research partnership, discuss the goals of the collaborative research and its significance. Cite and evaluate related work where appropriate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Methodology and Assessment: <\/strong>Discuss the actions that will be taken in the proposed project and how they will advance the target technology, research, etc. toward commercialization. Discuss how your project design and procedures are appropriate and adequate to make significant progress toward attaining objectives. Explain your assessment plan to determine if your objectives have been met.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Facilities and Resources: <\/strong>Specify the facilities to be used. List existing major equipment that will be used noting each location and pertinent capabilities. Provide any information describing other resources available for the project including available support services and any key personnel.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Timeline and Milestones:<\/strong> Identify the &#8220;schedule of events&#8221; for the project and specify the amount of time that the PI and others will spend on each task. This should include discrete, realistic milestones. In addition to discrete goals, describe appropriate metrics for assessing the project&#8217;s progress (e.g., proposals for external funding submitted, licensing or partnership outcomes, readiness testing, related academic outcomes like publications).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Project Sustainability Strategy: <\/strong>Funding under this program is intended to jumpstart partnerships toward commercialization of WSU research. Describe the strategy you will use to sustain the partnership or partnerships and continue down the pathway toward commercialization. Explain how your proposed activities will serve to create the foundations for sustained impact within Washington and beyond.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Project Team:<\/strong> Describe the team for the proposed project, the roles of the members and how they will collaborate. Proposals combining the capabilities and resources of multiple colleges or campuses will be considered favorably. <strong>Proposals must include an industry or technology partnership, leveraging either an existing relationship or building a new one. <\/strong>Describe the role of this partnership (or how it will be established) and how it will strengthen the impact of the proposed work.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"refs-cited\">References Cited<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Maximum length: 2 single-spaced pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your References Cited section will be submitted in a PDF document that also includes your Abstract and Proposal Narrative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-past-support\">Current, Pending, and Past Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Maximum length: 2 single-spaced pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wsu-spacing-after--xxsmall\">For the project PI and co-investigators list current, pending, and past support <strong>relevant to the proposed project<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Include WSU internal funding received in the last five fiscal years (FY22 \u2013 FY25) other than start-up funds, i.e., include seed grants and other internal grant programs and core funds for relevant labs, centers, or institutes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include extramural funding received in the last five years (FY21 \u2013 FY25).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>List extramural proposals pending (date submitted, agency, title, amount, and time period).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cv\">CVs or Biographical Sketches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Maximum length: 2 single-spaced pages<\/em> <em>each<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Include a CV or biographical sketch for the PI and each co-investigator. The CVs\/biographical sketches should focus on experience and qualifications relevant to successful completion of the proposed project. All CVs and\/or biosketches will be submitted as a single PDF document<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"letters\">Letter(s) of Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include a letter of support from relevant industry\/technology partners. The letter should indicate the nature of the relationship and their role in the partnership. Each letter will be submitted as a separate PDF document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"budget\">Budget and Budget Justification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Contact your unit\u2019s financial\/budget manager to facilitate budget preparation. Use the standard <a href=\"https:\/\/orso.wsu.edu\/documents\/2019\/01\/budget-workbook.xlsx\">FY25 Budget Workbook<\/a>. The budget workbook must be approved by the certified grant budget administrator in your area\/unit. A <a href=\"https:\/\/myresearch.wsu.edu\/Grants\/DepartmentContacts.aspx\">full list of grant administrators<\/a> is available on MyResearch, click on department contacts.&nbsp;There is no F&amp;A required for this competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This program will support expenditures that directly contribute to the successful completion the proposed project. All budget items must be reasonable, allowable, and necessary for project completion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Budget Categories<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Salaries<\/strong>: Faculty buyout with approved release time, partial graduate student support and postdoctoral appointments are allowable. Clearly state all base salaries, time committed to the project and amount of salary applied to the project.<br><br>Up to two months summer salary for the project PI are allowable if strongly justified. Additionally, a strong justification will be required for any graduate assistantship that will be fully supported by this funding. Such fully funded assistantships must be integral to the project\u2019s success and must work only on this project while being paid from these funds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Wages:<\/strong> Wages are permitted.&nbsp;Clearly state wages broken down by positions, include hourly payment rate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Goods and Services:<\/strong><em> <\/em>Include all supplies and services required to complete the project, itemize by major items. Contact the responsible personnel for cost estimates of services, if included. Avoid requests for funding non-specified, &#8220;miscellaneous&#8221; goods and services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Travel:<\/strong> All travel requests should have a clear and relevant justification for the success of the project. Follow WSU travel policies when calculating travel costs. Check with a university approved travel agent or website for the most cost-effective travel to the destination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Equipment:<\/strong>&nbsp;Major equipment items ($5,000 or more) are allowed with a strong justification and certification from the associate dean or deans for research (or equivalent) of participating colleges that the equipment would not be duplicative of existing equipment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Benefits.<\/strong> Work with your financial\/budget manager to account for benefits in your proposed budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Other: <\/strong>Provide a detailed description of other budget categories that will be requested.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wsu-spacing-after--xxsmall\">This program <strong>does not support<\/strong> the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Civil service staff salaries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Journal subscriptions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supplemental awards to existing projects<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Student led projects or senior thesis projects<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commercial licenses<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Membership dues<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Facility renovations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Purchase of vehicles or other modes of transportation&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Budget Justification<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Maximum length: 2 single-spaced pages<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The appropriateness of the budget is a significant factor in the selection process. All requested budget items must be accompanied with a justification of how they will contribute to the successful completion of the project.&nbsp;Strong justifications are expected for faculty summer salary and graduate student assistantships included in the request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Revised Budget<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>If a proposal is awarded at less than the amount originally requested, a revised budget and scope of work is required to be submitted to the program coordinator(s). Funds will not be released until these documents have been received.<\/p>\n\n    <\/section>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Contact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have any questions about the Big Ideas Initiative, please contact the Office of Research at <a href=\"mailto:or.orap.servicedesk@wsu.edu\">or.orap.servicedesk@wsu.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Funding Available: Up to $300,000 totalAward Size: $50,000 \u2013 $150,000 per awardNumber of Awards: 2 \u2013 6 awards This track is designed to catalyze industry collaborations and move WSU research [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4662,"featured_media":0,"parent":17762,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"wsuwp_university_location":[],"wsuwp_university_org":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4662"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17852"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17852\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18444,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17852\/revisions\/18444"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17852"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_location?post=17852"},{"taxonomy":"wsuwp_university_org","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/research.wsu.edu\/advancement\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsuwp_university_org?post=17852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}