WelchX Retreat and Pilot Grants
Forecasted
WelchX Retreat and Pilot Grants support Texas chemistry researchers through in-person retreats and collaborative pilot research to build lasting connections and advance basic chemical science.
Funder: The Welch Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): February 2027 (Retreat application) | June 2027 (Pilot grant application)
Funding Amounts: $100,000 per collaborative pilot grant for one year
Summary: WelchX supports Texas chemistry researchers through in-person retreats and pilot grants for collaborations developed at those meetings.
Key Information: Pilot grant applications are restricted to collaborative groups formed at the WelchX Retreat.
Description
The Welch Foundation’s Welch eXperimental (WelchX) Collaboration Retreats bring Texas researchers together for topically focused chemistry meetings. The fully in-person summer retreats engage early- to mid-career tenured and tenure-track faculty in developing ideas around challenging issues. The program aims to foster lasting collaborations, strengthen research connections across Texas, and spur basic research in the chemical sciences. Pilot grants support collaborative research developed by groups formed at the retreat.
The 2026 retreat focused on “Chemistry of Life,” interpreted broadly through biological processes. Activities encouraged innovative collaborations in bioorganic, medicinal, analytical, and macromolecular chemistry. Twenty-four researchers formed 12 teams of two to develop research ideas as the basis for collaborative pilot grant proposals.
