Welcome to the PIS@WSU Program
We are now recruiting in-service and pre-service teachers for cohort 3, summers 2026 and 2027.
In-service Teacher Applications are due by April 8, 2026. In-service Teachers Apply Now
Pre-service Teacher Applications are due by April 8, 2026. Pre-service Teachers Apply Now
The Murdock Partners in Science @ WSU (PIS@WSU) program engages current (“in-service”) and future (“pre-service”) secondary science teachers in authentic and innovative research experiences in an active research lab located one of four WSU campuses (Vancouver, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Pullman) or two WSU Research and Extension Centers (Puyallup, Prosser). While working side-by-side over two consecutive summers with a WSU Research Mentor, as well as with their graduate students, postdocs and technical staff, Partner Teachers gain new knowledge and build a scientific identity that allows them to guide their students toward building their own science identity and learning. More broadly, the PIS@WSU program supports collaborations between science teachers and academic scientists toward new discoveries and the advancement of science, with the goal that both groups will grow professionally in the process.
The PIS@WSU Program is supported by a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust.
About the PIS@WSU Program
In-service and Pre-service Teacher Partners in the PIS@WSU Program spend ~8 weeks full time each summer over two consecutive years engaging in research activities with a WSU faculty member in their lab. These activities could include field work and laboratory experiments, data collection and compilation, quantitative analysis and interpretation of results, and communicating findings to research peers. Throughout the two summers, Teacher Partners will be immersed in the day-to-day operation of an active academic research group, ranging from formal discussions during lab meetings and/or reading groups to informal conversations among like-minded colleagues.
In addition to the two summers of research, Teacher Partners will participate in two conferences each year hosted by the Murdock Charitable Trust in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. The January “Research Symposium” brings Partners in Science (PIS) teachers and mentors together from around the Pacific Northwest to share research findings through poster and oral presentations. The August “Teaching Practices Conference” provides PIS teachers the opportunity to share ideas with each other and learn best practices for translating their research experience into their teaching of science and scientific inquiry.
Benefits of the PIS@WSU Program for Teachers
The PIS@WSU Program will provide Teacher Partners with the following:
- A $6,500 stipend (in-service teachers) or $5,000 stipend (pre-service teachers) each summer for two summers
- Travel, lodging and meal expenses to attend two Murdock PIS conferences in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR each year
- The opportunity to conduct discovery research with a WSU faculty Research Mentor and graduate students in their lab
- Active mentorship in research
- Potential to contribute to a scientific publication
- Supportive opportunities for professional development
- Option to apply for up to $3,500 to purchase research-related equipment and supplies for their school after completing the two-year program (in-service teachers only)
- Access to a network of fellow teacher researchers
Eligibility and Criteria for Selection as an In-service Teacher Partner
Eligibility and Criteria for Selection as a Pre-service Teacher Partner
How to Apply (All teacher applicants)