Each year, thousands of PhD students across the University of Washington push the boundaries of knowledge and innovation. Their research shapes our communities, advances public good and prepares the next generation of leaders to tackle the challenges ahead. Now, a new university-wide initiative is setting out to ensure that the UW’s PhD programs continue to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
The Ph.D. Task Force, a joint initiative of the Provost’s Office and the Graduate School, has officially launched. Its charge: to chart innovative and proactive directions for PhD education at UW that reflect our public mission, our R1 research stature and our responsibility to prepare scholars for the future.
“Graduate education is central to UW’s impact,” said Graduate School Dean Joy Williamson-Lott. “Through this task force, we have an opportunity to think boldly about what PhD education should look like in the decades ahead—and how we can best support students as they pursue meaningful, impactful work.”
A Shared Vision for the Future
With more than 4,000 PhD students across disciplines, UW is uniquely positioned to model best practices in graduate education nationally. The task force will focus on three key areas:
- Ensuring PhD students receive education, training, and experiences relevant to the evolving job market—both within and beyond academia.
- Developing a vision for PhD education that aligns with UW’s public mission, research goals, and fiscal realities.
- Enhancing the quality of the PhD student experience, from mentoring and professional development to wellness and belonging.
Along the way, the task force will explore questions central to doctoral education today: What does “success” in PhD education look like? How should curricula evolve to meet the challenges of 2050? What does excellent mentorship entail, and how do we hold ourselves accountable to it?
Broad Engagement Across Campus
The work of the task force will be guided by working groups composed of faculty, staff and students with diverse expertise and perspectives. These groups will examine topics such as responsible research, open science, interdisciplinary training, and career development for academic and non-academic pathways.
Partnership with the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) will ensure PhD students play an active role in shaping recommendations, and broader opportunities for student engagement will be available through upcoming town halls.
A Multi-Year Effort
Over the next two years, the task force will engage the UW community in conversation, research, and reflection. Preliminary recommendations are expected in spring 2026, with the final report offering actionable recommendations and a shared vision for the future of doctoral education at UW.
“This is about more than policies or processes,” said Williamson-Lott. “It’s about ensuring that our PhD students, present and future, have every opportunity to learn and lead.”
To learn more about the task force’s charge, timeline, and opportunities for involvement, visit the task force’s website.