*New* UW Population Health Initiative Opens Accelerator Grants Funding Call: Letters of Intent Due February 1

Posted: 2026-11-05 16:07:26 ()

The UW Population Health Initiative has opened a new funding call for its Accelerator grants program, which supports ambitious, interdisciplinary projects with the potential to produce transformative advances in population health. Unlike the Initiative’s traditional pilot programs, which focus on proof-of-concept work or scaling existing efforts, Accelerator grants are meant to catalyze high-impact opportunities that build on UW-distinctive strengths. Proposals may carry more uncertainty than a typical pilot, but applicants must show a credible plan and a clear pathway to meaningful population health impact. The Initiative is especially interested in emerging drivers of population health, including artificial intelligence and other technologies, climate adaptation and resilience, and changing demographic and economic conditions. Projects can range from discovery science and technology development to policy innovation and community-based approaches, and should align with the priorities of the UW strategic plan.

Awards of up to $400,000 are available for projects lasting up to 24 months. Faculty and PI-eligible research scientists from all three UW campuses (Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma) may apply, and teams must include at least two UW co-principal investigators with primary appointments in different academic departments. Matching support is required from teams invited to submit a full application: at least 20% of the request for awards above $300,000, and at least 10% for awards of $300,000 or less. Projects must represent a substantial new endeavor rather than a continuation of existing work.

Applications follow a two-stage process. Letters of intent open January 1, 2027, and are due by 11:59 p.m. Pacific on February 1, 2027. Invitations to submit full applications will be issued the week of February 22, and full applications are due April 2, 2027. Funding decisions will be announced the week of May 3, and projects will run from June 1, 2027, to May 31, 2029. Letters of intent are submitted as a single PDF through the online portal at https://redcap.link/accelerator_loi_w27, and Office of Sponsored Programs review is not needed. Full program details are available on the Population Health Initiative website.