The McDonnell Academy supports collaborative research projects with seed funding and helps identify additional funding opportunities from other sources.
When available, seed funding is distributed through open calls for applications published on this page. Seed grants typically support research projects that involve at least one collaborator from WashU and international collaborators from the Academy’s partnership network. To receive information about future calls, please email mcdonnell@wustl.edu to be added to our mailing list.
A number of other resources help identify and manage new funding opportunities for Washington University researchers. Please visit the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research for more information.
Recent Grant News
Seed grants for COVID-19-related research awarded
The most recent applications cycle awarded $250,000 in seed funding to eleven research teams working on collaborative projects related to infectious diseases and the societal impact of Covid-19.
The funded teams now will get to work tackling far-reaching COVID-19-related issues, including the pandemic’s impact on the retirement process in the United States, South Korea and Australia; HIV care in Ghana, Brazil and the United States; and intimate partner violence in St. Louis, Uganda and Chile. The teams expect to gain more insight into these problems by studying the phenomenon in multiple countries and by drawing on top experts from around the world.
Seed grants for social policy projects awarded
The McDonnell International Scholars Academy and the Social Policy Institute partnered to provide support for three international policy-focused proposals. Each project received $10,000 in seed grants.
The selected projects will develop research that fosters international collaboration on policy issues and includes faculty from both Washington University and an international university. Each of the three research projects supports the overarching missions of both the McDonnell International Scholars Academy and the Social Policy Institute.