Research Awards
Postdoc Research Awards provide an opportunity for CSE postdocs to pursue independent research projects to be carried out by undergraduates. The awards enable CSE postdocs to develop an idea on their own, outside of the work they are doing with their postdoc advisor. Funding for the awards comes from our postdoc best practices grant and from the Allen School of CSE. Historically, we have been able to provide some funding for all qualified submissions.
We invite all UW CSE postdocs to submit proposals for funds to be used toward their individual research. We have a call for proposals each autumn and spring quarter. The current key dates for the next upcoming cycles are:
Autumn 2024 cycle
- Submission deadline:11:59pm on Sunday, October 13, 2024
- Notifications: Friday, November 1, 2024
Spring 2025 cycle
- Submission deadline:11:59pm on Sunday, April 13, 2025
- Notifications: Friday, May 2, 2025
CSE postdocs must email their proposals to Kate Gayle, the Postdoc Program Manager (kjgayle [at] cs.washington.edu).
Proposals will be reviewed by a committee of faculty and postdocs. Feedback from the review committee, valuable for your future project proposals, will be provided shortly after making the awards.
Awards should be used for postdoc projects that will contribute to individual professional development and research initiatives. This means that funding will be awarded only for projects outside the current scope of work funded by the postdoc’s PIs.
You must follow the award guidelines for preparing your proposals. These guidelines are modeled after the National Science Foundation’s Grant Proposal Guide. You may also find it helpful to consult the CRA’s tips on Writing a Compelling Proposal. Please let us know if we can provide any additional information or clarification.
The research awards offer a great way for Allen School postdocs to develop independent research through a well-scoped project (suitable for a part-time ugrad), as well as experience mentoring a student. Many of our postdocs have had a positive experience doing this over the years.
We strongly encourage our Allen School postdocs to take advantage of this initiative to enrich your postdoc experience!
Eligibility: To be eligible for these awards you must have a track record of participating in the review of progress (RoP) system–at least the most recent occurrence. This rule does not apply to newer postdocs (arrival less than five months prior to the next RoP deadline) who have not been here long enough to participate in the RoP process. If you never received an RoP email you are exempted. The RoP takes place every April and October. If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact the Postdoc Facilitator.
Acknowledgments: If your proposal is funded and the work leads to a publication, please add an acknowledgment to your paper for the support of a “UW Allen School Postdoc Research Award”.