COVID-19 was one of the most disruptive forces the world had experienced in decades. Recognizing the urgent need for action, faculty at Washington University were eager to collaborate with global experts to address the wide-ranging challenges of the pandemic but required immediate resources to launch their efforts. Thanks to the generosity and foresight of Bethany and Bob Millard, the McDonnell Academy was able to provide critical seed funding to support this important work. Their contribution enabled early-stage research that aimed to generate insights into addressing the unfolding crisis.
The Millards have served as chairs of the Parents Council, Washington University’s undergraduate parent leadership group.
Seed grant stories
The Global Incubator Seed Grants program aims to stimulate high-impact collaborative research linking WashU faculty with international counterparts. Since its launch, the program has helped kickstart 87 new global research projects in more than 30 countries.
