Federal Grant will expand STEM Innovation and Collaboration

The National Science Foundation has awarded $800,000 to Seattle University as part of a grant to foster collaboration in STEM research and grow capacity with other colleges and universities around the country.

“This collaboration between the College of Science and Engineering and Albers School of Business and Economics is to infuse innovation into STEM,” says Dean Amit Shukla, of the College of Science and Engineering. “This is part of the distinctive educational experience at Seattle University.”

The university’s share of the $2.4 million Enabling Partnerships to Increase Innovation Capacity (EPIIC) grant will be shared with California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, Saint Francis University (PA), Saint Mary’s University (MN) and Utah Tech University.

The areas of focus will be workforce development, experiential learning, research and innovation, industry partnerships, investors, entrepreneurship and regulatory needs. The funding will help Seattle University scholars partner with other local and regional industries and broaden participation in inclusive “innovation ecosystems” that advance emerging technologies.

“Collaboration is a cornerstone of successful innovation,” says Peter Rowan, Albers professor and executive director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center. “The EPIIC program helps us build permanent, cross-disciplinary collaborative programs at Seattle University, between our partner universities and with the external innovation ecosystem at large.”

Funding for the project started Oct. 1 and is estimated to run through September 2026.

For media inquiries, contact Lincoln Vander Veen at vanderv1@seattleu.edu or 425-830-2448.

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