Driving research through seed grant initiatives
The McDonnell International Scholars Academy is a catalyst for collaborative research across countries and disciplines. Through its seed grant initiatives, in the last three years the McDonnell Academy launched more than 60 new research projects in 30 countries.
- In January 2023, the McDonnell Academy, in partnership with the Global Health Center, awarded 5 new seed grants to support collaborations in global health. More information
- In October 2022, the McDonnell Academy, in partnership with the Office of the Provost, awarded approximately $500,000 in Global Incubator Seed Grants funding to support 20 new international collaborations. More information and list of recipients
- In July 2021, the McDonnell Academy launched the Global Incubator Seed Grants Initiative, intended to stimulate high-impact research linking WashU faculty and international collaborators. The grants helped kick-start fifteen new projects on five continents. More information
- In July 2020, ten research teams received a total of $250,000 in seed funding to initiate projects with international partners tackling far-reaching issues related to COVID-19.
- In partnership with the Africa Initiative, Institute for Public Health and the Social Policy Institute, the McDonnell Academy has funded 17 additional projects on the African continent, in the areas of global health and international social policy.
Discover more seed grant success stories

Global health seed grants awarded
The key objective of the Global Health Seed Funding effort was to help stimulate new global health research collaborations, strengthen existing partnerships and projects, and help faculty become more competitive for larger, extramural grant opportunities.

Gates Foundation awards $1.8 million to DOLF team for lymphatic filariasis elimination in Indonesia
May 10, 2022

Timely research from the Social Policy Institute influences policy in Israel
January 10, 2022

Researchers keep international COVID-19 projects moving forward
June 2, 2021

WHO accepts COVID-19 reform recommendations from Harris Institute
May 24, 2021