Pilot Project Grant
Internal — Western Washington University only
Pilot Project Grant supports Western Washington University researchers, staff, and creative scholars with early-stage project funding to establish sustainable new directions in research and creative work.
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Funder: Western Washington University
Due Dates: October 14, 2026 (Fall) | January 27, 2027 (Winter) | April 21, 2027 (Spring)
Funding Amounts: Up to $5,000 per project for 12 months
Summary: Supports early-stage research, creative work, and scholarship that establish sustainable new directions at Western Washington University.
Key Information: Open only to non-student WWU employees with formal appointments; the PI cannot have held a Pilot Project Grant in the previous 12 months.
Description
Western Washington University’s Pilot Project Grant program, administered through Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP), seeds early-stage ideas with potential to establish new, long-term directions in research, creative expression, or scholarship. It seeks to expand WWU’s scholarly and creative programs through new lines of inquiry that have high disciplinary value and lasting impact. Applicants from all disciplines may compete, including fields not traditionally connected to sponsored research. Projects do not need to lead to external funding.
Supported activities include proof-of-principle work that redirects an investigator’s research, planning meetings or site visits for significant new ventures with outside partners, and preliminary data gathering for important interdisciplinary collaborations. The emphasis is on sustainable new directions rather than ongoing work, routine studies, or most fixed-term activities.
