Thank You for Joining New Faculty Onboarding 2026
Welcome to the University of Washington!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2026 New Faculty Onboarding on September 10 and 11. We were delighted to welcome our newest faculty members to the UW community and to share two days dedicated to connection, learning, collaboration, and discovery.
Co-hosted by Academic Personnel & Faculty (APF) and our campus partners from UW Human Resources, the Office of Research, CoMotion, the Office of Global Affairs, the Graduate School, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and UW Libraries, this year’s program offered a shared starting point for building relationships, exploring resources, and learning about the many opportunities available across the University of Washington.
During the virtual session on September 10, participants learned about the offices, programs, and services that support faculty success in teaching, research, innovation, mentorship, professional development, and work-life well-being. On September 11, faculty gathered in person at the HUB to engage in networking, panel discussions, a resource fair, and conversations with colleagues and campus leaders from across disciplines.
We extend our sincere appreciation to all of our planning partners, panelists, presenters, and featured speakers who generously shared their expertise, experiences, and advice. Your contributions helped create a welcoming and informative experience for our newest faculty colleagues.
Resources Available Online
To help you continue exploring the information shared during onboarding, presentation materials, resources, and links from our planning partners and featured speakers will be posted on this webpage. These materials will serve as a reference as you navigate your first year at the UW and beyond.
Thank you again for joining us. We are excited to have you as part of the UW community and look forward to supporting your success as a faculty member. Welcome to the University of Washington, and best wishes for a rewarding and impactful year ahead.
Your success at UW is intentional, collaborative, and supported by a powerful network from the start.
New Faculty News
Discover what past participants valued most, meet the featured speakers and campus partners, and explore the latest updates for New Faculty Onboarding 2026 by following the new faculty onboarding blog.
New Faculty News
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The Office for Academic Personnel & Faculty
The Office for Academic Personnel & Faculty (APF) supports your full faculty journey—appointments, promotion, development, leadership, and belonging—through coordinated systems built by faculty, for faculty, so you can thrive at UW long‑term.
The Office for Academic Personnel & Faculty
The Office for Academic Personnel and Faculty exists so you don’t navigate your academic career alone. Their mission is to support you—intentionally and continuously—from hire to promotion, leadership, and beyond.
Big picture
- UW has 22,000+ academic personnel and faculty
- Across five career tracks and many appointment types
- APF is the central system that supports your success, not a distant bureaucracy
You are not a number—you are part of a thriving academic community.
APF’s integrated approach: 3 pillars
Your success is planned, not accidental, and rests on three connected pillars.
Faculty Affairs → Your institutional anchor
- Handles the complex systems behind the scenes
- Ensures compliance, clarity, and fairness
Faculty Development → Your growth partner
- Supports career advancement, leadership, and community
- Provides workshops, mentoring, and year round programming
Faculty Inclusive Excellence → Your belonging blueprint
- Ensures inclusion, retention, and equitable opportunity
- Builds strong, supportive academic communities
Pillar 1: Faculty Affairs
You’ll rarely interact directly—but they support you at every career stage.
Faculty Affairs manages:
- Hiring approvals & appointments
- Promotion & tenure reviews
- Retention offers
- Sabbaticals
- Faculty policy interpretation
- Visa & green card processes for international faculty
Key resource:
- Faculty Policy Primer — clarifies UW’s Faculty Code
Why it matters:
- Administrative clarity = academic freedom.
Faculty appointments at UW
UW has many faculty tracks, including:
- Tenure track (professorial)
- Without tenure (WOT) faculty
- Research faculty
- Instructional & teaching faculty
- Clinical practice faculty
- Annually appointed faculty
All tracks are valued, voting members of the UW community—expectations differ by track, not importance.
Promotion & tenure: what to know early
Clock managed faculty (assistant professors):
- 6 year promotion timeline
- UW hires one person for one slot—not a tournament
- ~98% of those who go up are promoted
- Many are promoted before year 6
Key milestones:
- Reappointment review: ~1.5 years in
- Regular merit reviews + chair feedback
- External review typically begins in Year 5
Start early. Document everything. Update your CV often.
Clock extensions
You can “stop the clock” up to four times for valid reasons, including:
- Birth or adoption of a child
- Federal funding delays
- Equipment delays
- Care responsibilities
Asking for a clock waiver is normal and encouraged when needed.
What makes a strong promotion portfolio
Think in three buckets (weights vary by track):
- Research / Scholarship
- Teaching
- Service
You need something in each bucket—and the total tells your professional story.
Pillar 2: Faculty Development
Faculty development focuses on long term growth, not just survival.
Key offerings:
- Promotion & dossier workshops (year round)
- New Faculty Development Program
- Cross disciplinary networking
- Mentoring and peer support
- Leadership development
- Dean & Chancellor Leadership Series
- Academic Leader Onboarding (for future chairs, directors, deans)
Watch for announcements via the APF website and faculty newsletters.
Faculty Inclusive Excellence
Excellence requires belonging.
Focus areas:
- Inclusive faculty recruitment & retention
- Search committee training & resources
- National partnerships to support faculty success
Key programs:
- NCFDD membership (free for all UW faculty, postdocs, and grad students)
- Writing support
- Mentoring communities
- Faculty Success Program (with cost sharing available)
- UW ADVANCE
- Inclusive practices (especially STEM)
- Leadership training across campus
Leadership pathways
Many faculty eventually move into leadership.
APF supports that transition with:
- Opportunities & Leadership Program
- 9 month cohort experience
- Practical leadership skills
- Conflict management
- Campus navigation & networks
You don’t have to figure leadership out alone.
Shared governance = your voice
- Faculty Senate and governance structures shape UW policy
- Faculty help define:
- Promotion standards
- Academic policy
- Institutional priorities
The Office of Research
Research is central to the UW’s mission. The Office of Research helps faculty secure funding, manage compliance, navigate limited submissions, build collaborations, and stay resilient in a changing funding landscape.
The Office of Research
Research is central to UW’s mission and identity, and the Office of Research exists to enable, support, and protect faculty-driven research—from idea to award, compliance, and impact.
Why research matters at the UW
- Research drives:
- New knowledge, technology, and societal impact
- Excellence in education and student skill-building
- UW’s research strength is a core reason faculty choose UW.
UW research at a glance
- $1.7B annually in sponsored grants & contracts (FY25)
- #2 public university globally (2024 rankings)
- #2 in federal research funding (longstanding)
- 2,600+ jobs and $2.6B added to WA state economy
- Broad and deep research:
- 17 schools & colleges
- 1,700+ sponsors
- Strong undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc research programs
- Highly collaborative:
- ~31% of research spend involves external collaborators
What makes the UW a research powerhouse
- Faculty depth + breadth across disciplines
- Excellence attracts top students and postdocs
- Strong culture of interdisciplinary collaboration
- Shared facilities, centers, and institutes
- Commitment to bottom-up, faculty-driven initiatives
- Focus on building connections across the university
Facing challenges—and why the UW will remain strong
The challenge
- Federal funding = ~80% of UW research
- Anticipated funding and cost pressures
UW’s response: Research Resilience Initiative
- Assess risks and opportunities
- Scenario planning with faculty input
- Reduce research costs where possible
- Identify new revenue streams
- Support faculty navigating a changing research landscape
- Strengthen messaging about the value of research
Office of Research: what it does
Mission: Not just proposals and compliance—but actively supporting faculty research, collaboration, and impact.
Core roles
- Enable funded research
- Reduce administrative friction
- Ensure smart, efficient compliance
- Promote and advocate for faculty work
Key units within the Office of Research
- Applied Physics Laboratory
- Washington National Primate Research Center
- eScience Institute
- Research Cyberinfrastructure initiative
(These operate like academic units but are housed within OR.)
Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP): your main gateway
You’ll interact with OSP early and often.
What OSP handles
- Proposal routing and submission (via SAGE)
- Sponsor deadline compliance (~7,000 proposals/year)
- Award negotiation, modifications, and extensions
- Institutional letters of support and matching funds
Limited submissions: what to know
- Some sponsors limit how many proposals UW can submit
- Common for:
- Large center grants
- Training grants
- Instrumentation grants
- Foundation awards
- OR runs an internal review process across schools
- Tip: Subscribe to the limited submissions email list so you don’t miss opportunities
Research compliance: the OR philosophy
- UW is responsible as the grantee
- OR’s stance:
- Assume researchers want to be compliant
- Educate first, problem-solve when rules clash with research
- Aim for “compliant enough”
- Avoid over-compliance
- Reduce administrative burden
- Goal: protect researchers, integrity, and UW’s reputation—without slowing discovery
Who’s responsible for what
- PI: ultimate responsibility for compliance
- Departments & schools: local oversight
- Central offices (OR + others):
- Training and guidance
- Systems and tools
- Coordination (so you don’t get conflicting demands)
- Monitoring only when needed
Internal funding: Royalty Research Fund (RRF)
- Competitive, peer-reviewed seed grants
- Open to all disciplines
- Especially valuable for:
- Junior faculty
- New or high-risk ideas
- Fields with limited external funding
- 33-year history:
- 2,100+ awards
- $63M distributed
- Goal: make projects more competitive for future funding
What’s coming next for you
- Breakout sessions:
- Human Subjects Division
- AI, Data Science & Research Computing
- Royalty Research Fund
- Fall workshops:
- Limited submissions strategies
- Research landscape navigation
- In-person mentoring panels & networking
What to remember
- The Office of Research is your partner, not just a gatekeeper
- UW’s research strength rests on faculty excellence + collaboration
- Help is centralized, proactive, and faculty-focused—use it early
The Office of Global Affairs
Global Affairs supports international teaching, research, partnerships, and travel safety—offering seed funding, agreements, study abroad support, and required travel registration to help you engage globally with confidence.
Office of Global Affairs
The Office of Global Affairs is your hub for global engagement—supporting international teaching, research, partnerships, and travel safety.
What the Office of Global Affairs Supports
OGA is UW’s central resource for global engagement, supporting faculty in:
- Global Learning (study abroad, curriculum)
- Global Research & Partnerships
- International Travel, Safety & Compliance
Global partnerships & funding
International Agreements
- OGA manages agreements between UW and international institutions.
- Covers research, teaching, and outreach collaborations.
- Contact early if you’re planning an international partnership.
- Email: agreements@uw.edu
Funding Opportunities
- Global Innovation Fund: Seed funding for new global projects (typically opens Dec. 1).
- Global Funding Database: Curated list of external funding opportunities and deadlines.
Faculty-Led Study Abroad
Key Facts
- 80+ faculty-led programs each year.
- Open to any UW faculty member.
- Typically 10–25 students.
UW Support Includes
- Program management
- Logistics
- Financial planning
- Safety support
Study Centers
- Rome, Italy
- León, Spain
Program Lengths
- 10 days, 3 weeks, 5 weeks, or 10 weeks
- Available year-round
Reach out early—even if your idea is still tentative.
Travel, Safety & Compliance
Travel Registry (Required)
Register all official UW international travel, including:
- Conferences
- Research travel
- Teaching abroad
Insurance & Emergency Support
Registered travelers receive:
- Medical and mental health emergency assistance
- International SOS coverage
Work Abroad Requests
Required if you:
- Are paid by UW, and
- Work outside the U.S. for 30+ days in one location
Travel Reminders
- Official travel: Must be registered
- Personal travel: No registration required
- Students on official travel: Must register
- Level 4 countries: Not permitted for study abroad
- Level 3 countries: May require additional review
Visa Support
OGA Can Provide:
- Proof of appointment
- Insurance letters
- Participation confirmations
OGA Cannot Provide:
- Visa advice
UW Libraries
UW Libraries are research and teaching partners—offering expert help, teaching support, data tools, open access publishing, copyright guidance, and global collections to support your work from idea to impact.
UW Libraries
UW Libraries are research and teaching partners, not just collections. They help you find, use, teach with, publish, and share information—at every stage of your work.
UW Libraries at a glance
- 15 libraries across three campuses (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma)
- Includes specialized locations (e.g., Friday Harbor Labs)
- Support goes far beyond books—think full research lifecycle support
Your starting point
Libraries website = your portal
- Search books, articles, databases, journals
- Access discipline specific research guides
- Manage your account (renewals, requests)
“Ask Us” = human help
- 24/7 chat with real librarians
- Email and one on one consultations
- Think of it as a library concierge service
Research essentials
Access without paywalls
- Use the Libraries website + Husky OnNet VPN / Proxy
- Maintains off campus access while traveling or at home
Borrowing beyond UW
- Extensive UW collections
- Regional partner libraries
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL):
- Books & articles worldwide
- Scans of chapters and articles
- Course readings scanning support
Discipline specific expertise
- Research Guides curated by subject specialists
- Pathway to librarians who support your field
- Help identifying:
- Key databases
- Methods
- Citation tools
- Starting points for new projects
Teaching support
Libraries support instruction in three key ways:
1. In class support
- Librarians can visit your class to teach:
- Research skills
- Database use
- Information literacy
- AI literacy & critical AI use
- Sessions customized to your course
2. Online & embedded resources
- Tutorials you can drop into Canvas:
- Undergraduate Research Tutorial
- Graduate Student Research Institute
- Custom course guides built just for your class
3. Course materials & affordability
- Help selecting course readings
- Open Educational Resources (OER) support
- Course reserves (physical & streaming media)
- Reduce student costs while improving access
Research lifecycle support
UW Libraries help you plan, conduct, analyze, and share research.
Planning & organizing
- Citation management tools
- Research consultations in the Research Commons
- Literature discovery across disciplines
Data & analysis
- Data management planning help
- Text mining workshops (with eScience Institute)
- GIS Lab support (Suzzallo Library)
- Data visualization workshops & consults
Copyright & licensing
- Reusing others’ work
- Licensing your own materials
- Copyright librarian support for publisher contracts
Publishing & open scholarship
Open access support
- UW Libraries cover or reduce article processing charges (APCs) with many publishers
- Helps you publish openly faster and cheaper
UW Open Access Policy
- Applies to UW faculty publications
- Waivers available if needed
- Deposits supported via ResearchWorks (UW’s repository)
Data sharing
- Dryad repository available at no cost
- Supports funder data sharing requirements
Digital publishing platforms
- Project & personal domains
- Tools like:
- WordPress
- Omeka (digital exhibits)
- Pressbooks (open textbooks)
- Manifold (digital books & journals)
Open Scholarship Commons
A hub for:
- Digital scholarship tools
- Workshops & consultations
- Storytelling (podcasting, digital media)
- Research impact & altmetrics
- Recording studio & collaborative spaces
Goal: Make UW research visible, reusable, and impactful.
What to remember
- Librarians are experts you can call early
- Support exists for research, teaching, publishing, and impact
- Many services save time, money, and effort
- If you’re unsure—Ask Us
CoMotion
CoMotion helps turn ideas into real‑world impact—through IP support, funding, mentoring, startups, licensing, and incubation—across tech, health, climate, arts, and beyond. Curiosity is enough to start.
CoMotion
CoMotion helps UW researchers turn ideas into real world impact—through intellectual property, startups, licensing, funding, mentoring, and incubation.
Why CoMotion matters
- UW is a global leader in tech transfer:
- Most innovative public university (multiple rankings)
- #2 in the U.S. for licenses granted
- Top 10 globally for tech transfer
- CoMotion is UW’s partner for moving research beyond publications into societal and economic impact.
What CoMotion supports
Innovation at UW isn’t just “deep tech.” CoMotion supports translation across:
- Life sciences & therapeutics
- Clean & climate tech (fusion, photovoltaics, carbon capture)
- AI, software, curriculum, apps, and tools
- Mental health, education, and public‑good innovations
- Humanities and traditionally underserved disciplines
If it can help people—it may be translatable.
Intellectual property: your options
CoMotion helps navigate IP in four main ways:
- Open distribution (public sharing)
- Licensing to existing companies
- Spin‑off startups
- Direct‑to‑user licensing (e.g., code or scalable tools)
You choose the path—CoMotion supports the process.
The CoMotion innovation pipeline
CoMotion supports you from idea to impact, with integrated services:
1. Early exploration
- NSF I‑Corps (external + UW hub)
- Idea to Plan (UW program)
- Focus: customers, product‑market fit, translation potential
2. Faculty peer support
- Entrepreneurial Faculty Forum
- Eight experienced faculty entrepreneurs
- Serve as connectors, mentors, and translators
- Demystify commercialization and startups
Turning ideas into ventures
Once you explore commercialization, CoMotion offers hands‑on programs:
Signature program: Innovation Gap Fund
- $1M+ awarded annually
- Grants:
- Small discovery awards ($5K)
- Up to $75K/year for promising innovations
- Includes:
- Pitch coaching
- Mentor access
- Entrepreneurial skill building
- Outcomes:
- 110+ spin‑offs
- $6.3B+ raised by UW startups
Building the right team
Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Program
- Supports postdocs or senior graduate students to focus on commercialization
- Structured curriculum + startup preparation
- 65 awards since 2010
- Strong licensing and startup outcomes
Mentorship at every stage
- 120+ volunteer industry mentors
- Entrepreneurs across all sectors
- Matched based on:
- Idea stage
- Industry vertical
- Regulatory, funding, or scaling needs
- Goal: reduce risk and accelerate success
Launching your startup
Husky Fast Start
- Pre‑negotiated, standardized license terms
- Designed specifically for UW spin‑offs
- Fair, aligned, simple, transparent
- Faster, easier startup formation
Plan to Launch
- For teams with MVPs or strong product‑market fit
- Workshops on:
- Team building
- Funding (dilutive & non‑dilutive)
- Business models
- Legal structure & cap tables
Incubation: CoMotion Labs
- Startup incubation with wraparound services
- Vertical‑specific spaces:
- Life sciences & hardware (on campus)
- Tech / AI / software
- Climate tech (downtown Seattle)
- Includes:
- VC office hours
- Founder community & events
- Vendor and investor access
- 250+ startups incubated since 2012
Strong campus & regional partnerships
CoMotion works closely with:
- Foster School of Business (entrepreneurship & accelerators)
- Creative Destruction Lab
- Plug and Play
- Seattle Climate Innovation Hub
- Washington Research Foundation
- PAC Ventures
Impact by the numbers
- 300+ startups launched
- 1,500+ Washington jobs created
- $10B+ total follow‑on funding (30 years)
- 850 patent filings (5 years)
- 300–400 licenses issued annually
- $1.3M/year invested in early‑stage UW ventures
Who this is for
- Faculty at any career stage
- Researchers with:
- Grant‑funded discoveries
- Curriculum or software ideas
- Social or climate solutions
- Early thoughts—or fully formed ventures
If you’re curious, CoMotion wants to talk to you.
What to remember
- You don’t need a startup plan to engage—start with a conversation
- Innovation comes in many forms—not just biotech
- CoMotion provides structure, funding, mentors, and speed
- Your research can create impact far beyond academia
Graduate School
The Graduate School supports faculty in recruiting, mentoring, and graduating master’s and doctoral students while providing the policies, resources, and guidance that underpin graduate education.
The Graduate School
How the Graduate School Supports New Faculty
The Graduate School is a key partner in graduate education, helping faculty recruit, mentor, support, and graduate master’s and doctoral students. The Graduate School also provides policies, systems, and resources that help faculty navigate graduate academic programs and student success initiatives.
New Faculty May Engage with the Graduate School for:
- Graduate Student Recruitment and Admissions
Support for graduate admissions processes, student recruitment, and admissions systems. - Graduate Program Policies and Administration
Guidance on Graduate School policies, degree requirements, supervisory committees, and program administration. - Mentoring Graduate Students
Resources that promote graduate student success, inclusive excellence, and effective mentorship. - Dissertations, Theses, and Degree Completion
Information on committee approvals, dissertation requirements, and graduation processes. - Program Development and Review
Support for new academic program proposals and academic unit reviews.
Why It Matters
Whether you’re advising graduate students, serving on supervisory committees, or contributing to graduate program leadership, the Graduate School provides the framework and resources that support graduate education across UW.
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) supports undergraduate success through advising, research, leadership opportunities, academic support, and other high-impact learning experiences.
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Undergraduate Academic Affairs
How Undergraduate Academic Affairs Supports New Faculty
Undergraduate Academic Affairs (UAA) advances undergraduate education at UW by connecting students to high-impact learning opportunities, academic support resources, advising, leadership development, research experiences, and community engagement. UAA also partners with faculty to enhance teaching and student success.
New Faculty May Engage with UAA for:
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Connect students with meaningful research experiences and learn about programs that support faculty-mentored undergraduate scholarship. - Teaching and Student Success Resources
Access campus programs that support student learning, academic achievement, and retention. - Academic Advising Partnerships
Collaborate with advising professionals who help students navigate academic pathways, majors, and degree planning. - Student Engagement and Experiential Learning
Explore opportunities that connect students to leadership, service, research, honors, and other high-impact educational experiences. - Welcoming and Supporting New Students
Learn how UAA programs help students build community, develop a sense of belonging, and successfully transition to the UW.
Why It Matters
UAA serves as a strategic partner for faculty who are committed to student learning, mentorship, undergraduate research, and creating a meaningful educational experience that helps students thrive both in and beyond the classroom.
UW Human Resources Overview & Benefits
UW Human Resources (UWHR) exists to support you across your entire career lifecycle—from onboarding to retirement—while tailoring services to UW’s diverse workforce.
UW Human Resources (UWHR)
UW Human Resources exists to support you across your entire career lifecycle—from onboarding to retirement—while tailoring services to UW’s diverse workforce.
Big picture: UW workforce & HR role
- UW employs ~56,000 people across faculty, staff, academic personnel, and union-represented groups.
- Each group has distinct rules and needs → HR continuously adapts services by population.
- Today’s focus: faculty support.
Core HR services for faculty
HR supports faculty through:
- Leaves & accommodations (medical, disability, family care)
- Employee relations (conflict resolution, policy guidance, faculty code questions)
- Benefits & retirement
- Workday support (onboarding, personal info, enrollment)
- Well-being, work-life balance, and engagement
If life happens: HR Leaves & Accommodations
- Confidential support for:
- Medical and family leaves
- Disability accommodations (broad definition—any medical condition affecting work)
- HR manages state, federal, and UW policies and works with you + your department to find solutions.
When issues arise: Employee Relations (HRCs)
- HR Consultants (HRCs) help with:
- Workplace conflicts
- Understanding rights under the faculty code
- Policy questions or personnel file access
- Also support faculty as managers of staff or student employees.
Benefits: critical from hire to retirement
- Benefits Office supports:
- Health, dental, vision
- Retirement plans
- Life & long-term disability insurance
- Open enrollment & orientations
- You have 31 days from your start date to enroll in health benefits (deadline cannot be extended).
Health benefits essentials
- PEBB plans: 11 medical options (CDHPs, Kaiser managed care, PPOs)
- All plans:
- No pre-existing condition exclusions
- Preventive care covered 100% (in-network)
- Prescription coverage included
- Dental & vision:
- Automatically enrolled
- 100% employer-paid
- Open enrollment happens annually (late October).
Retirement: choose early—or be defaulted
- 30-day window to choose your retirement plan.
- Two main plans:
- UW Retirement Plan (UWRP – 403b)
- Default if you don’t choose
- Immediate vesting
- UW matches employee contributions
- TIAA/TRS 3 (401a)
- Hybrid pension + investment
- Plan choice is irrevocable
- UW Retirement Plan (UWRP – 403b)
- Free financial advising available through Fidelity or TIAA.
Employee wellness & whole-person support — “Whole You” program
- Holistic wellness: physical, mental, financial, and social health
- 1,000+ events annually (talks, workshops, fitness, community)
- Live fitness classes included.
UW WorkLife
- Supports where work meets home:
- Child, elder, and dependent care resources
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Free, confidential help for you and everyone in your household
- Includes:
- Counseling (multiple issues = multiple free sessions)
- Crisis and grief support for individuals and teams
- Manager and department support after traumatic events
Giving & engagement
- UW Combined Fund Drive
- Easy pre-tax payroll giving
- $60M raised since 1984
- Supports local, national, and global nonprofits
New to the Pacific Northwest?
- Optional PNW Orientation for relocating employees:
- Covers housing, childcare, transportation, culture
- Community-building with other new UW hires
- Short presentation + open Q&A
What to remember
- Deadlines matter: 31 days (benefits), 30 days (retirement).
- HR is centralized, confidential, and here when you need support.
- Bookmark: