WWU awarded $3.1M grant to expand biomedical research

Western Washington University secured a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to expand biomedical research on campus. 

The grant will fund pilot projects for faculty to gather preliminary research to strengthen their applications for federal biomedical research grants. P. Clint Spiegel, a chemistry professor who was involved in acquiring the grant, said he hopes the additional funding will be a “spark” for faculty to start and pursue funding for research projects.  

The grant will also support the Viking Biomedical Research Initiative, a group of faculty members working to coordinate professors and students from around the university to get “further engaged” in biomedical research. The university plans to hire two staff members to work for the initiative and help support the grant process.