UW STEM Research Grants

We have many programs to support gender education, advocacy and research. Here’s our year in review so you know what to expect.

September-May:  Monthly programs on pay equity, public policy, diversity, intersectionality, inclusion, Washington State Legislature as well as authors, historians, STEM Recognition and some just for fun. Our meetings are in person and on Zoom depending on the program. Calendar:
January/February - Lobby Day
January-April - following the Washington State Legislature
January-April - Contact schools to nominate girls for Tech Trek. Interview and select the girls.
March - Celebrate Women’s History Month
April - STEM Scholar Recognition
May - Annual Meeting with elections plus a program
May - College Scholarships are awarded
July - Tech Trek, a week long STEM camp for middle school girls

Interest Groups meet throughout the year. Book Group and Writing Group meet monthly either in person on on Zoom. Art Smart and other groups meet around selected activities. We are always open to developing new interest groups.

Neighborhood Groups meet throughout the year. We meet in person or on Zoom depending on the group. This is a great way to meet members in your neighborhood in a more casual way.

University of Washington is an AAUW Partner

As the leading voice in promoting equity in education for women and girls since 1881, AAUW has deep roots in the academic community. College/University (C/U) partner memberships open doors to grants and fellowships, leadership training, professional development, educational resources, and advocacy tools.  Seattle Branch is proud of its C/U partnership since 2012 with the University of Washington Alene Moris Women’s Center. Each academic year, Seattle Branch collaborates with the Women’s Center on various projects as we work together toward our common goal of achieving gender equity. These projects have included:

• Co-hosting Pay Equity Forums on campus for students, faculty and staff.  These forums have featured local experts who provided information on the gender pay gap, presenting causes and consequences of the issue, as well as information on individual rights, required legislative actions, and steps individuals can take to further close the gap.
• Inclusion of the Women’s Center’s “Making Connections” students in our annual High School STEM Recognition award program. Making Connections is college-readiness program for underserved students and their families. The program seeks to increase college enrollment and career interests in the STEM fields.
• Sponsoring UW students to attend AAUW’s National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). Each year, NCCWSL brings together hundreds of college women from around the country for three days of leadership training, inspiration and networking. “Enter the conference as a passionate leader and leave it with the skills and confidence to pursue your goals.” Returning conference attendees share their experiences with AAUW members at a branch meeting.
• Supporting Start Smart Salary Negotiation workshops on campus.  These online and in person programs enable graduating seniors to learn how to research their target salary, highlight their accomplishments and find the right words — and the confidence — to negotiate for better benefits and pay as they embark on their careers.
• Sponsoring a portion of the annual Alene Moris NEW Leadership Institute. NEW Leadership brings together college students from across the political spectrum to discuss the roles of women in leadership and politics. The program exposes participants to new ideas and opportunities that help develop self-awareness as they consider their future careers.

The Seattle Branch board’s College/University Liaison position is focused on managing and strengthening our partnership with the Women’s Center. AAUW members and the Women’s Center staff meet each fall to develop a collaboration plan for the year, then meet periodically throughout the year to assess progress and make any adjustments to the plan, including addressing any emergent needs.

Undergraduate students at an AAUW College/University partner, such as the University of Washington, can join AAUW as an e-student affiliate member at no cost. If your college/university is not an AAUW College/University partner, you can join AAUW as a student affiliate member for $18.81. 
Find out if your college/university is an AAUW Partner.

As a major part of its mission, AAUW National regularly produces widely respected research reports on subjects central to our public policy priorities. These reports draw either on large and diverse bodies of existing studies or on AAUW’s own scientifically rigorous surveys. Additionally, every year we collect data on pay equity. All reports are free for download on the web.  AAUW Research Projects. Here are some examples of research reports:

• Solving the Equation - the Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing. This report, which has been used as a text book at the University of Washington, is a particularly useful resource for women going into STEM fields and their parents.
• The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap, a report that is updated each year, tracks the progress of narrowing the pay gap with in-depth analysis of the many factors that are in play. For the BIPOC community, the pay gap is much larger than for White workers.  With the pay gap currently at about 82%, gender equity will not be attained until 2070-2110.
• Deeper in Debt: Women and Student Loans. College debt affects female students more than male students - right after graduation and for years afterward.  While we push for women to obtain higher education so they can be better paid, statistics reveal that they take on more debt than their male counterparts and they pay back their loans more slowly because of the gender pay gap.
• Our most recent report is Factory Flaw – Attrition and Retention of Women in Manufacturing. This study explores the challenges and barriers women face in these mostly male-dominated industries. The report recommends ways employers can address these longstanding issues.

The STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics - are similar to the manufacturing world in that women represent only about 17% of the workforce and they face similar barriers. That’s why we support Tech Trek, STEM Scholar Recognition and other programs that encourage women to engage and succeed in the high paying STEM fields. There are a lot of problems to solve and we need we need a talented, diverse, and educated team to find solutions.

All these studies and more are available for free on the AAUW National Research Webpage

Advocacy is a huge part of our work as indicated in our mission. We are not political in terms of endorsing specific candidates, however, we are definitely involved in policy making.  In fact, we have been able to work with both Republicans and Democrats on various issues.  This enabled us to help pass the Violence Against Women Act a few years ago.

AAUW Washington State has a lobbyist in Olympia, Nancy Sapiro, and has worked hard this year, with our on-line Lobby Day as well as testifying, and advocating for a number of bills. See the legislative update. Many of them were passed this year, but there’s always more to do.

Check out AAUW’s annual study The Simple Truth About the Gender Pay Gap.

AAUW has a lobbyist in Washington DC and we are working on a number of bills. One is the Paycheck Fairness Act.  It passed in the House, we are deeply dismayed that this important piece of legislation failed on a procedural vote in the U.S. Senate. We vow to keep up the fight for equity. We’ve been working on an update to the 1963 Equal Pay Act since the 1990s and will continue to persevere to get the updates passed. They are incredibly important for achieving pay equity for all. Here’s the main points:

• Paycheck Transparency.  We want ranges for salary categories that are publicly known and followed.  If you’re doing the same job you should get the same pay range.  AND we don’t want an employer to be able to retaliate against an employee who is trying to find out this information.
• Get Paid for What You’re Worth. We don’t want a person’s prior salary to determine what their salary in a new job will be. We don’t want that information collected. This means that if you change jobs, you will get a salary that is fair for the job no matter what you were paid in your last position. This is important for EVERYONE because if you’ve been paid less for gender or race or any other reason in the past, you should not have to carry that burden along with you for the rest of your working life.  You should be able to jump to your actual fair pay.
• Details on these and other Important Pay Check Fairness Act Features

As an organization with decades of history, we have worked long and hard for pay equity starting in the Wilson Administration.  We worked hard for the 1963 Equal Pay Act. At the signing of this bill, many AAUW members were present.

AAUW members Minnie Miles (front row, fourth from right) and Reps. Edith Green (left of president, in white suit), Martha Griffiths (second from right), and Julia Hansen (far right) with President John F. Kennedy as he signs the Equal Pay Act into law on June 10, 1963. Credit: Abbie Rowe, White House Photographs. Courtesy of John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston  Delighted to change out this old picture just as soon as the Pay Check Fairness bill is passed.

Sign up for the Two Minute Activist   Get top of the moment information on congressional bills effecting women so you can take specific action and help move this advocacy forward.

Legal Advocacy Fund https://www.aauw.org/resources/legal/laf/

AAUW believes strongly in the value of education. The organization was founded in 1881 by a small group of college-educated women who wanted to spread their ideas and make college education easier to attain and a more positive experience.  Today AAUW offers many educational programs, as well as grants and scholarships.

AAUW Seattle offers scholarships for local undergraduate women in financial need. We also strongly encourage STEM education and careers as can be seen in our Tech Trek and STEM Scholar Recognition programs.

National Scholarships and Research and Projects Grants. AAUW National gives more funding to women in higher education than any other organization in the world, so be sure to apply as you go for your Master’s degree and beyond. AAUW is excited to announce nearly $5 million in funding to more than 260 fellows and grantees for the 2021-22 award year.

AAUW Webinars.   National AAUW provides wonderful free webinars and programs offering insights and information on such topics as social justice, advocacy and professional development.

AAUW Trailblazers
We are inspired by the AAUW trailblazers listed below.  See more of our members, fellows and award winners who have pioneered advances toward gender equity. Explore how many of us have made our mark — from the past to the present and into the future!

Each year we offer up to three scholarships between $3,000 to $15,000.

The 2026-2027 application period is open.

2026-2027 scholarships will be available to WA undergraduate students in Nursing or Public Health (or related field). Applicants must demonstrate financial need.