New Faculty Onboarding

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

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

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 does

OGA supports faculty across three main areas:

• Global learning (study abroad, globalized curriculum)
• Global research & partnerships
• International travel health, safety, and compliance

They serve as a central resource and first point of contact for global work.

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

Global Innovation Fund

• Seed funding to jumpstart global research projects.
• Typically opens December 1 each year.
• Ideal for early-stage, globally focused work.

Global funding opportunities

• Curated, frequently updated list of external global funding calls.
• Deadlines flagged

Study abroad: faculty-led programs

What’s possible

• UW supports 80+ faculty-led programs per year.
• Groups typically 10–25 students.
• Open to any UW faculty member.

Faculty-led programs are:

• Designed and led by faculty
• Sponsored by departments and colleges
• Supported by UW Study Abroad with:
  • Program management
  • Logistics
  • Financial planning
  • On-the-ground safety support

UW study centers abroad

• Rome, Italy (50+ years; full staff support)
• León, Spain (smaller, flexible programs)

Program length options

• 10 days, 3 weeks, 5 weeks, or 10 weeks
• Offered year-round (summer, early fall, quarter breaks)

Interested? Reach out early—even if your idea is tentative.

Travel health, safety & compliance 

1. International Travel Registry (required)

• All official international travel must be registered.
• “Official” = funded, required, or affiliated with UW.
• Applies to:
  • Conferences
  • Research travel
  • Teaching abroad
• Same system used for study abroad.

2. Insurance & emergency assistance

• While on registered UW travel, faculty receive:
  • Medical & mental health emergency support
  • Coverage via International SOS
• Details and app access provided after registration.

3. Work Abroad Requests (separate from travel registry)

Required if:

• You are paid through UW payroll
• You work outside the U.S. for more than 30 days in one location

Applies to:

• Research stays
• Extended international remote work
• Some personal situations tied to employment

Key rule:

• 30+ days in one country/location triggers review (for tax/legal reasons).

Key travel distinctions

• Official travel = must be registered
• Personal travel = does not need registration
• Mix of both? Register official segments separately.
• Students on official travel must also register.

Safety & destinations

• Study abroad cannot go to Level 4 (Do Not Travel) countries.
• Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) countries may be approved with extra review and safeguards.
• OGA + Study Abroad work together to ensure safety planning.

Visas: what UW can (and can’t) do

• OGA cannot advise on visas (too many country/citizenship combinations).
• OGA can provide documentation, such as:
  • Proof of appointment
  • Insurance letters
  • Participation confirmations
• International Student Services (ISS) supports degree-seeking international students.

Who to contact

• International agreements: agreements@uw.edu
• Travel registry & insurance: travel@uw.edu
• Work abroad requests: globalops@uw.edu
• Faculty-led study abroad ideas: Study Abroad director

What to remember

• OGA is a partner, not a gatekeeper
• Register official international travel—always
• Seed funding and global opportunities are available
• You don’t need a fully formed plan to reach out
• Early contact = smoother approvals and better support

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

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

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
• 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:
  • UW Benefits website
  • Employee Workday Help site