This unique program pairs high school science teachers with a mentor doing cutting-edge research in an academic lab or a lab associated with another nonprofit institution. The Murdock Trust awards approximately 25 Partners in Science grants each year to fund these teacher-mentor research opportunities in the Pacific Northwest. Our goal is to help teachers bring knowledge from the research lab directly into the classroom to promote hands-on science education. After reading the program guidelines and the instructions and checklist, the research mentor or the high school teacher may begin the application process through the Grants Portal. The completed application must be submitted by the mentor’s institution.

Partners in Science work occurs over the course of two summers. After the first summer, partners develop a pictorial poster showing their research to date for presentation at the National Partners in Science conference. After the second year of work with their mentors, partners return to the conference to deliver an oral presentation on their progress.

Teachers are expected to arrange their own partnerships, although the Trust has provided a list of some potential research projects submitted by scientists from the Pacific Northwest who are willing to serve as mentors in the Partners in Science Program. Additionally, a list of individuals who have agreed to serve as contact persons at their respective institutions for the Partners in Science Program is available on this institutional contact list by state. For more information on Partners In Science, please email Kim Newman.

Application Deadline: December
Awards Announced: Early March

• Guidelines for Partners in Science Grants
• Application Instructions and Checklist

Teachers who have completed a regular (two-summer) Partners in Science grant are eligible to apply through their high schools for a Supplemental Partners in Science grant. Here is a list of recent regular Partners awards and supplemental Partners awards.  Invitations to submit a Supplemental proposal will be emailed to all eligible Partners in early summer.

If you are a current or veteran Partners in Science program partner, you may access the current Partners Directory. Partners are listed in the Directory alphabetically by state and last name within their award year. To update your email address(es) and/or phone number(s), contact Marybeth Stewart Goon.

Resources

Conferences

• Using our logo(s) in your presentation? Access them here and read our guidelines on how to use them.
• Apply to present a workshop at the National conference in January
• Partners in Science Resource Page (password protected)

Network

• Potential research projects
• Partners directory

Webinars

• Sifting Through the Outbreak: Information Literacy in the Time of COVID-19 – A presentation from Mike Caulfield, a digital information literacy expert at Washington State University.
• Teaching the Science of COVID-19 – A presentation from Dr. Kathryn Jacobsen, professor of epidemiology and global health at George Mason University.

2022 Partners in Science National Conference

• TypOs in the Code of Life: Insights from New Mutations in Autism and SARS-CoV-2, a keynote presentation by Dr. Brian O’Roak at the 2022 National Conference. Find out more about Dr. O’Roak and his research here.
• Coping with COVID: What To Do When The World Is On Fire, slides from a presentation given by licensed psychologist Dr. Clint Quisenberry to teachers at the 2022 National Conference.