News

The funding will be used to provide intensive advising, peer mentoring, emergency aid and discipline-specific support to veterans, STEM students and future teachers.

A growing number of fruit and vegetable growers in the Columbia Basin are working with researchers in WSU Extension to find an easier way to track and share data on water quality used for crop irrigation.

“Measuring water quality is important, because it lets growers know the likelihood that the water they are using might be contaminated with a foodborne pathogen,” said Faith Critzer, associate professor and produce safety extension specialist at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, Washington.

“By monitoring water quality, we can make educated decisions about risks tied to that source,” Critzer said.

Producers have historically tested their … » More …

Two WSU NSF-sponsored undergraduate summer research programs move ahead despite pandemic challenges.

The vast majority of graduate student courses will be delivered at a distance this fall in keeping with WSU’s efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstracts of research and creative work submitted by faculty, staff and graduate students for the poster sessions have been made available in a searchable format on the Showcase website.

The Office of Research announces the FY2018 Annual Research Report is now available online. The report highlights significant and impactful research and achievements.

In this report, we highlight some of the exciting research, creative activity, and scholarship at WSU, as well as key individuals in the Office of Research that help make this work happen. This demonstrates the firm commitment of the Office of Research to support our faculty and staff system-wide as we pursue the Drive to 25.

Notable and impactful examples of WSU research highlighted in this report include:
• WSU and the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory announced the … » More …

The Palouse Knowledge Corridor presents Pathfinder: A Business Model Development Program, a revolutionary hybrid short course providing entrepreneurs the opportunity to ideate, test, and validate your business idea.

Participants will learn and apply key elements and principles any entrepreneur should consider when starting a venture. A group of industry professionals, serial entrepreneurs, and LEAN Startup experts will put your business idea to the test.

During the program, participants will complete a fully vetted business model canvas, work through a workbook of exercises to test and refine your business, and give a five minute pitch presentation. This program will provide participants with a pipeline into the … » More …

The application process is now open for the FY2021 Commercialization Gap Fund (GCF). The CGF awards researchers up to $40,000, with a maximum of $2,000 allocated towards business development activities, to those that demonstrate that their innovation(s) have the ability to make an economic impact in our society.

The CGF is intended to be the final funding step for near market-ready technologies in the areas of cleantech, engineering, human and animal health, agricultural and/or information technologies. Funds will be distributed using a milestone-driven process with stipulated goals reached before the next funding increment is approved.

The CGF program demonstrates the threefold mission of WSU’s commitment … » More …

The deadline for submitting feedback is close of business Wednesday, May 20. The draft guidance can be found on the Office of Research website.

Research Showcase is one of the largest events for graduate and undergraduate students on the Washington State University Vancouver campus to showcase their research. But when the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order threatened to cancel the annual event, Christine Portfors, vice chancellor for research and graduate education, and her assistant Holly Davis, knew that they had to find some other way to host Research Showcase. They immediately knew to ask Dene Grigar, professor and director of The Creative Media and Digital Culture Program, to find a solution that would allow them to host the showcase virtually.

Since the early 1990s, Grigar has been working in … » More …

When the results from the last WSU employee survey were released, the Office of Research (OR) was surprised that most employees had little to no information about the health and wellness programs offered at the University.

In response to the survey, Denise Keeton, assistant director of business operations in the Office of Commercialization, created the “New Year, New You: Healthy Lifestyle Challenge” for OR employees to participate in throughout the month of January.

“A few years ago, I made some healthy lifestyle changes for myself. Shortly after, I started to see positive changes in other areas of my life as well,” said Keeton. “After the … » More …

Industry brings a unique perspective to basic research in university settings and provides insights that can help guide efforts to ensure students are career ready and faculty are submitting competitive proposals. However, due to unique barriers, the process for finding industry funding requires a distinct approach. The Innovation and Research Engagement Office (IREO) will host an online course for faculty interested in developing an industry partnership to add to their funding portfolio.

The four-session course called, “Working with Industry 101: Tools and tips for getting private sector funding,” will take place from 3-5 p.m. on May 13, 15, 19, and 21. Faculty are asked to … » More …

Experts in quantum computing, sensing, and simulation with cold atoms gathered on the Washington State University (WSU) Pullman campus in February for a Northwest Quantum Nexus (NQN) workshop and to discuss the state of quantum physics research in the region. The workshop, held prior to the current meeting restrictions, focused particularly on the role of atomic systems in the future of quantum technology and included participants from across the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Canada.

The implementation of cold atom systems, including trapped ions, degenerate gases, Rydberg excitations, and ultracold molecules, have generated a boom in the development of fundamental quantum science over the last few … » More …

In conjunction with the WSU COVID-19 website, the Office of Research has also created a dedicated section on its website to provide COVID-19 related information and resources for the research community.

Over the past two months, the Office of Research has provided guidance for conduct of research during the pandemic to the WSU research community. Those messages can be found at https://research.wsu.edu/covid-19/.

The Office of Research has developed a COVID-19 research related Questions and Answers page. We recognize that not every concern or question may be addressed, especially those with uniquely individual circumstances. We will continue to provide research related updates through … » More …

As we observe the COVID-19 crisis unfold across our community, state, nation, and the world, we are continually reminded of the important role research plays in fighting and recovering from the current pandemic. WSU researchers are rising to this challenge, applying their skills and knowledge to directly respond to the coronavirus crisis. WSU faculty and staff also continue to advance knowledge across a wide range of disciplines while working under Governor Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” declaration.

All of these activities are vital to WSU’s continued fulfillment of its land-grant mission. As we move towards recovery, it is important that you be prepared … » More …

The four-session course called, “Working with Industry 101: Tools and tips for getting private sector funding,” will take place on Zoom from 3-5 p.m. on May 13, 15, 19, and 21. Faculty are asked to bring a senior graduate student or postdoc for joint participation.

Around 250 students submitted nearly 200 abstracts summarizing their work and results from mentored research, scholarship and creative pursuits.

The WSU research team found that rats with regular access to cannabis seek more of the substance and tend to show increased drug-seeking behavior when cannabis is absent.

From Instagram selfies to an ancient tattoo tool, WSU research reached a potential audience in the billions last year.

Over the next four weeks, four WSU researchers will share their work and expertise with communities across the state as part of the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau.