{"id":56698,"date":"2025-04-24T17:39:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T00:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/research\/?page_id=56698"},"modified":"2026-02-11T11:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T19:59:45","slug":"horizons-newsletter-april-2025","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/research\/or\/horizons-newsletter\/horizons-newsletter-april-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Horizons Newsletter – April 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Published April 22, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h1>\n

A Message from the Vice Provost<\/h2>\n

\"\"The past several weeks have been challenging for the UW research community due to federal agency actions associated with policy changes in the current administration. It is important to understand the evolving landscape, but before digging into that difficult topic, I want to start on a positive note \u2013 with a reminder of the importance of research at UW and a recognition of the great work that our researchers do. UW researchers are advancing healthcare, making scientific breakthroughs, advising policymakers, and working with communities to improve K-12 education. In FY23,\u00a0UW research generated $2.6 billion for Washington\u2019s state economy<\/span><\/a>. This year we again saw many\u00a0researchers recognized with prestigious awards\u00a0(highlighted below) and high national and international rankings. Research is core to UW\u2019s mission and our identity as an R1 institution.\u00a0UW consistently ranks among the top research universities globally<\/span><\/a>, and the breadth of our research impacts is a source of pride.<\/p>\n

Knowing the impact of UW research, it is discouraging to see all the award terminations, restrictions on funding, threats to indirect cost recovery, revoked student visas, and more. The implications for the researchers involved and the people who benefit from their work are heartbreaking. Over the past several weeks, the Office of Research has been working to quickly respond to each challenge as it comes, working in partnership with other central units, the Attorney General\u2019s Office (AGO), and leaders in the affected schools and colleges, as well as networking with our many peers who are facing similar challenges. We recognize how challenging this time is across our entire research community, and we want you to know that many colleagues across central offices, schools and colleges, and support units are fully engaged in responding to these issues alongside you. That work includes supporting the AGO in legal challenges, working with them on appeals, and seeking their guidance on interpreting new requirements.<\/p>\n

Early on, the federal administration\u2019s actions came from a few agencies and targeted a few specific topics, but every week expands the scope. It is likely that all our schools and colleges will be touched. At the same time, rising costs of salaries and\u00a0benefits<\/span><\/a>, as well as the impacts of tariffs, mean that current research budgets are stretched thin. The possibility of a drastic reduction in\u00a0indirect cost recovery<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 which is essential for maintaining research infrastructure, compliance, and administrative support \u2013 poses serious challenges to the sustainability of UW\u2019s research enterprise. We remain committed to enabling research opportunities, but we must also ensure that we have the resources necessary to support them responsibly. Moreover, the impacts are not just financial \u2013 concerns range from loss of public data to visa cancellations and policies that threaten academic freedom. It is clear that the future research landscape is going to change, and reacting to the daily challenges is not enough. We need to proactively work to preserve and strengthen research resilience and capacity, so that we not only weather the current challenges but are also well positioned for future opportunities.<\/p>\n

To that end, I\u2019ve been talking to UW leaders and soliciting ideas for an initiative that I\u2019m calling\u00a0Research Resilience @ UW. The key objectives are: i) preserve research capabilities and expertise, ii) support people (faculty, staff and students) in navigating changes in the federal landscape, and iii) change the narrative on research impacts. We\u2019ve started identifying specific strategies for each objective, with overarching strategies of fundraising and leveraging external partnerships. We are seeking broader input and will be hosting discussions in the future. In the meantime, please email suggestions to\u00a0orcomm@uw.edu<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with the subject line \u201cResearch Resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n

To preserve research capabilities, I believe that sharing resources is critical. As a first step, we are building a new web resource for shared\/core facilities, to enable researchers (including external users) to easily find equipment and services and also expand revenue streams. Surveys will be sent to facility directors already in our database. If there\u2019s a facility you think should be included, email\u00a0orcomm@uw.edu<\/span><\/a>\u00a0with the subject line \u201cShared Facilities\u201d and provide contact information for the facility director.<\/p>\n

In support of the other objectives, we are hosting a series of workshops and panel discussions, and we are fortunate to have two\u00a0Provost Academy Fellows\u00a0working with the Office of Research with interests in supporting these initiatives. Details about the series and Fellows are provided below.<\/p>\n

The challenges of responding to a combination of agency work orders to stop, change, resume and\/or terminate awards come at a time when Workday is still being configured to more fully support effective processes in the grants space. The added work makes it more difficult to address the Workday challenges but all the more critical to do so. The Office of Research, UW IT, and the Office of Finance, Planning and Budgeting (FPB) are partnering in a new initiative,\u00a0Awards Improvement and Development Effort (AIDE), aimed at reducing backlogs, improving reporting and streamlining administrative processes from award setup to closeout. A brief overview of AIDE with links to more information is included in this newsletter.<\/p>\n

These are initial steps, and plans will evolve with community input. I encourage you to contribute to the Research Resilience effort, whether by sending your ideas, participating in workshops and taskforces, or supporting your colleagues who may be more directly impacted by these challenges.<\/p>\n

Thank you for all your contributions to research and to our research community.<\/p>\n

Mari Ostendorf<\/strong>
\nVice Provost for Research<\/p>\n

\n

Recent UW Award Winners<\/h2>\n

The exceptional faculty and research community at UW are central to the reputation of this institution as a global leader in innovation and one of the top-ranked universities in the world. Year after year, numerous UW faculty are the recipients of the most prestigious honors in their fields, a testament to their excellence and dedication. The Office of Research congratulates all\u00a0award winners<\/span><\/a>\u00a0this academic year and highlights a few awardees below.<\/p>\n

American Academy of Arts & Sciences<\/h3>\n

Dan Suciu<\/a><\/span>, Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering<\/p>\n

Beckman Young Investigator Award<\/h3>\n

Ayokunle Olanrewaju<\/a><\/span>, Bioengineering<\/p>\n

National Academy of Inventors<\/h3>\n

Corie Cobb<\/a><\/span>, Mechanical Engineering<\/p>\n

National Academy of Sciences<\/h3>\n

Qiang Fu<\/a><\/span>, Atmospheric Sciences<\/p>\n

Raymond Huey<\/a><\/span>, Biology<\/p>\n

National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal<\/h3>\n

Mary Claire King<\/a><\/span>, Medical Genetics & Genome Sciences<\/p>\n

NAS Award for Scientific Discovery<\/h3>\n

Xiaodong Xu<\/a><\/span>, Physics & Materials Science<\/p>\n

Nobel Prize for Chemistry<\/h3>\n

David Baker<\/a><\/span>, Biochemistry<\/p>\n

Pew Biomedical Scholars Award<\/h3>\n

Devon Schweppe<\/a><\/span>, Genome Sciences<\/p>\n

Claudia Vasquez<\/a><\/span>, Biochemistry<\/p>\n

Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists & Engineers (PECASE)<\/h3>\n

Donald Chi<\/a><\/span>, Dentistry<\/p>\n

Bhuvana Srinivasan<\/a><\/span>, Aeronautics & Astronautics<\/p>\n

Kate Starbird<\/a><\/span>, Human Centered Design & Engineering<\/p>\n

Bobby Wilson<\/a><\/span>, Mathematics<\/p>\n

Erin Wirth<\/a><\/span>, Geophysics<\/p>\n

Schmidt Polymath<\/h3>\n

Ashleigh Theberg<\/a><\/span>, Chemistry<\/p>\n

Searle Scholar<\/h3>\n

Nick Riley<\/a><\/span>, Chemistry<\/p>\n

Sloan Research Fellowships<\/h3>\n

3 UW faculty awarded in 2025<\/p>\n

Washington State Academy of Sciences<\/h3>\n

15 UW faculty elected in 2024<\/p>\n

\n

RESEARCH RESILIENCE @UW<\/h2>\n

Together with our partners (UW IT, Office of Academic Personnel & Faculty), the Office of Research is hosting a series of workshops, discussions, and information sessions designed to provide support, introduce new resources, and share ideas with colleagues in the UW research community.\u00a0These events<\/span><\/a>\u00a0will give researchers an opportunity to ideate, discuss, learn, and network with other researchers to build community and inform their individual work.<\/p>\n

Researcher Experiences and Needs in Cases of Targeted Harassment and Intimidation – Listening Session<\/b><\/h3>\n