A Scientific Working Group is defined as a specific area of scientific focus for a group of investigators who share common research interests and goals and participate in competitively funded research. Scientific Working Groups capitalize on areas of excellence at our CFAR-affiliated institutions and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among investigators who have not previously collaborated with each other, or within that area of scientific focus.
The Scientific Working Group is charged with encouraging new collaborations, identifying high risk/high impact studies, fostering submission of new proposals for peer-reviewed funding, and addressing knowledge gaps that cannot be addressed by standard funding mechanisms. The success of a Scientific Working Group is measured by expansion of NIH-supported funding for the Group, and the establishment of successful collaborations within and between Groups.
Currently the UW/Fred Hutch CFAR has two Scientific Working Groups: