Washington Research Foundation (WRF) has awarded nearly $2.2 million in new grant funding to researchers at four nonprofit institutions in Washington state. WRF funded 12 teams of investigators at Fred Hutch Cancer Center (Fred Hutch), the Seattle Hub for Synthetic Biology, the University of Washington (UW) and Washington State University (WSU) to develop detailed plans for projects and programs that could significantly advance the state’s life-science ecosystem and improve lives.
WRF concluded an eight-month strategic planning process last year and committed to increasing its support of big, emergent opportunities in the region over the next five years. The call for planning grants was one way to surface ideas for such opportunities. Another program that resulted from the strategic planning process was a call to support IND-enabling and clinical studies for novel therapeutics. Awards made through that program will be announced in the coming weeks.