[PRIORITY DEADLINE: October 17th January 21st]
THE STF REVIEWS PROPOSALS ON A ROLLING DEADLINE, MEANING THE PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AFTER THE PRIORITY DEADLINE WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED
ABOUT THE STUDENT TECHNOLOGY FEE
Read the full, PDF-version of the Call for Proposals here.
Since 1996. The UW Student Technology Fee (STF) was created by the Washington State Legislature [RCW 28B.15.051] and the UW Board of Regents in 1996 to provide for and enhance technology resources for students beyond the classroom environment. The STF is student-levied and student-distributed, generating over $4 million in annual revenue which is paid out to over 100 student groups and departments each year.
The STF is used to fund a variety of technology needs, some being one-off proposals and others being regular and renewable “Block” requests. Recent requests have included a Smart Board for the Department of Economics, automated sanitization stations for the Department of Chemical Engineering, and equipment for a Mars Rover built by Husky Robotics. Other departments, including UW Libraries, STLP, The Daily, and UW-IT receive Block Funding totaling over $1 million annually.
The STF Committee is composed of representatives selected by the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS). These representatives, or Committee members, are responsible for reviewing proposals, debating their merits, and rendering a decision. The Committee is also supported by several student and professional staff members who conduct day-to-day operations, fiscal oversight, and auditing services.
TIMELINE
Priority Deadline. The priority deadline to submit an STF proposal is Wednesday, January 21st, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Consideration of proposals submitted after this deadline may be delayed to the following quarter based on the volume of proposals received. THE STF REVIEWS PROPOSALS ON A ROLLING DEADLINE, MEANING THE PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AFTER THE PRIORITY DEADLINE WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED.
Notification of Decision. After all hearings are completed and the Committee has deliberated and voted, applicants can expect a notification of a decision on their proposal by the end of the quarter. Budget Creation. If approved, your STF award budget will typically be created within 14 – 21 business days.
WHO CAN APPLY FOR STF FUNDS?
A UW department, unit, or other organization or Registered Student Organization with departmental affiliation may apply for STF funding. No other group is eligible for funding. RSOs without departmental affiliation will be denied.
AWARD TYPES
Single Award. Single awards are the most common award type and are sufficient for most project needs. Single awards are non-renewable and non-recurring and are best suited for projects that have a defined one-time purchase of equipment or services. Block Award. Block awards are renewable and recurring allocations of funds best suited for well-established departments and units with annual, recurring expenses such as subscriptions, regular device replacement, or similar needs. Block awards do not roll-over year-to-year and unspent funds are returned to the STF at the end of the year.
PROPOSAL WORKSHOPS
Learn about the proposal process from our staff and get your questions answered live at one of our Proposal Workshops. You’ll have an opportunity to work with staff to improve and develop your idea into a full proposal. Proposal Workshops will be hosted on the following days:
> October 7th, 2025 5pm – 7pm, HUB 303
Watch a Recorded Proposal Workshop
POLICIES
Read and review all of our policies here before submitting your proposal.
