2026 Request for Proposals
The Cannabis Research Center (CRC) invites faculty to submit pilot grant proposals on cannabis. This is a request for research proposals focusing on a wide range of cannabis-related topics that include, but are not limited to: impact of changes in state and national policy related to the cannabis industry and consumption; healthcare provider practice and scope; trends in the use of “novel” cannabinoids (e.g., CBG, CBC, CBN, etc.); mechanisms of cannabinoids impact on the body (human and model organisms); contributors of cannabis and cannabinoid use; short- and long-term effects of cannabis and cannabinoid use; outcomes of use; issues regarding youth access and societal impact; advertising and sales; and other critical issues facing Washington State and its residents related to cannabis.
The CRC faculty pilot grant program is intended to provide seed funds to WSU faculty to conduct cannabis-related research. It is not intended to supplement currently funded projects. As such, proposal should not overlap with currently funded grants. Instead, proposals focusing on emerging research areas of relevance to Washington State are highly encouraged. WSU researchers may submit proposals if they have received funding before from the previously run DMAc or EROC grant programs (either as PI or as Co-PI, in the past or currently). However, they need to submit a final report of the outcomes of all DMAc and/or EROC grants they received along with their CRC faculty pilot grant application.
Given the requirement for funds to be expended within two years (with no option for carryover), researchers handling, administering, analyzing, and/or storing cannabis (or cannabis constituents) must have a valid Schedule 1 license at the time of submission.
Second-year funding will not be granted until an annual report for the first-year period is submitted and approved. This report needs to demonstrate significant progress. Details of these reporting requirements are outlined below (under reporting requirements).
Priority will be given to proposals that align with the CRC’s strategic goals which are to 1) advance high-quality cannabis research, 2) cultivate the next generation of cannabis researchers (i.e., provide training opportunities for students), 3) foster knowledge exchange and collaboration, 4) disseminate research findings to broader audiences, 5) ensure financial sustainability and operational excellence.
Timeline
| February 1 | Request for proposal issued |
| April 15 | Proposal due to CRC |
| June 1 | Anticipated announcement of award |
| July 1, 2026 | Distribution of funds |
| July 1, 2027 | Progress Report due |
| July 1, 2028 | Final Report due |
Eligibility
The lead PI must be a current WSU faculty member on any campus. Tenure-track and research professor track faculty members are eligible to serve as lead PIs. However, career-track faculty who do not have a significant portion of their time dedicated to research, postdoctoral associates, short-term faculty, and adjunct faculty are not eligible. Each faculty member may submit only one proposal (as PI or Co-I).
If the project involves handling, administering, analyzing, and/or storing cannabis (or cannabis constituents) then the investigators must provide documented evidence of holding a valid Schedule 1 license with the DEA at the time of application.
Amount
$30,000 distributed in two installments over two years. The first installment of $15,000 will be dispersed in July 2026 and must be spent by May 30, 2027. The second installment of $15,000 will be dispersed in July 2027 and must be spent by May 30, 2028. Note: the second installment is not guaranteed and is contingent upon demonstrated success in the first year (a progress report showing significant progress) and the availability of I-502 funds. Carryovers are not allowed for this funding source. Funds not expended by these deadlines will be returned.
General Instructions
Grants must include the following 12 elements with a maximum of 6 pages for sections 5 & 6.
- Face Page including name, position, department, submission date, proposal title, and abstract (30 lines max for the abstract)
- Schedule 1 DEA license number (if required)
- Final report of past DMAc or EROC awards (if applicable)
- Specific aims (maximum 1 page)
- Significance/importance of research
- Approach/rigor & feasibility
- Timeline documenting major milestones
- References
- Detailed budget broken down by year and expenses type with brief justification for each. Eligible expenses include student salaries/payment and benefits, participant compensation, equipment that stays at WSU, materials, conference travel, and other research expenses required to conduct and disseminate the research. Faculty salary cannot be included in the budgets.
- Biosketches in the 5-page NIH format, including other support and description of overlap with this proposal. Include biosketches for each co-investigator
- Dissemination plan including plans to publish, present at specific conferences, issue press releases, engage in outreach, etc.
- Plans for obtaining extramural funding and/or benefit to WSU and/or to the State of Washington
- List of all intramural and extramural grant applications submitted in the past 5 years related to cannabis research, if any.
- Names of 5-6 possible external reviewers. Do not include WSU members or anyone you have collaborated with, published with, or to whom you have any conflict of interest or personal ties.
Required Formatting
- 11-point Arial or Helvetica font
- 0.5-inch margins
- Single spaced
Applications that do not contain all elements or follow the formatting requirements will be returned.
Submission
Submit all materials as a single PDF document. Use the online portal located on this website to submit.
Evaluation
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Significance/Importance. Does the project address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the cannabis field? If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, and/or clinical practice be improved?
- Approach. Are the overall strategy, methodology, and analyses well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project? Are potential problems, alternative strategies, and benchmarks for success presented? If the project is in the early stages of development, will the strategy establish feasibility, and will particularly risky aspects be managed?
- Investigators. Is the PI or investigative team well suited to the project? Do they have appropriate experience and training? If the project is collaborative or multi-PI, do the investigators have complementary and integrated expertise?
- Anticipated outcome. Is the project likely to produce significant scholarly results, leading to a publication and conference presentations? Is this project likely to generate extramural support? Is the project likely to benefit WSU and/or the State of Washington?
- Budget. Is the budget appropriate?
Review Process
Proposals will be reviewed by external reviewers. The CRC co-directors and CRC Internal Scientific Advisory Committee will make final funding decisions based on those reviews.
Acknowledgement
All publications, posters, websites, presentations, etc. resulting from this internal competitive grant program must include the following information: “This work was supported by a faculty pilot grant awarded through Washington State University’s Cannabis Research Center.”
Reporting Requirements
A progress report demonstrating significant progress on the project aims and achievement of the major milestones documented in the timeline for year 1 must be submitted before the second installment of funds will be dispersed. All recipients of CRC grant funds must submit a final project report at the conclusion of the funded project.
Contact
Email questions to: wsu.crc@wsu.edu