That was the idea behind a $3 million (WRF) grant to hire four biology professors. It鈥檚 called a cluster hire and will help maintain the 天美影视传媒鈥檚 leading reputation in primary research and life sciences.

鈥淲RF has been assisting UW Biology for more than a decade with recruiting and retaining key faculty.聽 We wanted to support (Department Chair) Toby Bradshaw鈥檚 plan for a cluster hire because we believe it will lead to great collaborations and research with significant impact.聽 We look forward to getting to know the new investigators and their areas of research,鈥� said WRF CEO Ron Howell.

The Department of Biology has been planning for the hires for about six years, said . It鈥檚 important to enhance the region鈥檚 research capability in integrative and collaborative biology. The new faculty, recognized as Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Investigators, will help train the next generation of life scientists in what is already the largest STEM undergraduate degree program in Washington.

And the new hiring process will reinvent the way faculty at the UW are recruited by explicitly seeking faculty who will foster connections with other academic departments at the university.

The UW screened more than 1,000 applicants for the four positions.

鈥淭hese are the top young scientists in the field of biology, and they鈥檙e being recruited by everyone,鈥� Bradshaw said.

The challenge, then, is how to recruit them to the UW.

A brand-new building is one way, and having backers like the WRF is another, Bradshaw said. 鈥淭he new Life Sciences Building is a tremendous draw,鈥� he said

WRF has been a leading supporter of innovations at the UW spanning the life sciences, engineering, data science and more since 1985.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e been incredibly generous. This grant is another example of that,鈥� Bradshaw said.

The Biology Department鈥檚 been bursting at the seams for years, unable to bring on new people because of a lack of space in Kincaid, Hitchcock, and Johnson Halls. Now, that鈥檚 changed.

UW鈥檚 Biology Department is known for its integrative approach. The new facility will play to that strength, Bradshaw said.

鈥淭he best ideas are generated and pursued in collaboration,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are key features in this building designed to promote social interactions and vital collaboration.鈥�

Gone are the days of each faculty member having her or his own lab, Bradshaw said. Instead, space is shared to encourage comingling of faculty, researchers and students. It should help the department continue to soar and build on its already strong national reputation.

鈥淲e would like to be the hub for basic life sciences research,鈥� Bradshaw said.

The Washington Research Foundation Distinguished Investigators will start in fall 2018.

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鈥淚t feels really, really good to know that I鈥檝e got funding,鈥� said Matthew Crane, who will start a project to develop a new method to assemble nanomaterials. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great because I know that I鈥檒l have the time to do good science instead of just shooting for the stars and hoping that it works.鈥�

The fellows recently received their doctorates from institutions around the world, but they have chosen to continue their careers at institutions in the state of Washington. Their research covers a broad range of disciplines, including geology, engineering and biology.

Mary Regier will use the fellowship to study how populations of different cells are patterned to give tissues specific functions.

鈥淭he award will enable me to explore an area of research that I think will broadly impact what we know about human development and physiology,鈥� she said.

Luke Parsons will use his award to study climate variations on timescales ranging from years to centuries.

鈥淚 hope to advance understanding of the sources of climate variability to help determine if 21st century climate change will occur relatively smoothly, like a ramp, or in fits and starts, like a jagged staircase,鈥� he said.

This fellowship provides researchers with a stipend, benefits and a small budget for travel and supplies. WRF also plans to host networking events and other professional training workshops to supplement the fellows鈥� careers.

鈥淲e鈥檙e confident that the fellows will be well supported in learning how to most effectively provide public benefit through their work,鈥� said Ron Howell, WRF鈥檚 CEO, .

Other UW researchers to receive this fellowship include Connor Bischak, Max Friedfeld, Kameron Harris and Emma Schmidgall. Researchers at the Infectious Disease Research Institute, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Washington State University received the other three fellowships.

The Washington Research Foundation supports life science and technology research in the state of Washington. Applications for the next group of fellowships will open May 21.