The Incubator

William Acree, Co-Director

"Inter- and transdisciplinary connections are increasingly central to what makes a world-leading research university. The Incubator supercharges these kinds of connections at WashU. We've had many success stories over the past few years, but one of the most exciting is interdisciplinary thinking becoming more embedded in daily activities across our university."

Michael Frachetti, Co-Director

"The promise of transdisciplinary research and education lies in its infinite mutability and range for discovery. Now more than ever, engaging with the world means getting comfortable with the unknown, and I believe that is the hallmark of those whose impact is felt beyond a single domain."

Our Mission & History

The mission of the Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures is to inspire and support innovative transdisciplinary research to advance new discoveries and thinking — shaping a bold vision for the university of the future. We fund and provide ongoing support for cross-campus collaborations that invite novel ideas, encourage unprecedented learning opportunities, and generate solutions to some of the world's most critical issues.

In 2022, we funded nine multiyear project teams as well as five yearlong programmatic grants. These projects epitomize the Incubator's ideals of convergence, creativity, and community. You can learn more about our project teams HERE. 

A look at the scale of cross-campus collaboration being enabled by the Incubator for Transdisciplinary Futures.

Funding from the Incubator for the Immersive Technology Collective has been instrumental to amplifying the research goal of fostering a robust, international intellectual community devoted to the integration of immersive technologies and performance. In 2024, Incubator funding enabled me to convene Interpolations, a think tank focused on these questions, at WashU. Based on the success of this event and the multiple publications it generated, the Doris Duke Foundation funded the 2025 iteration, which I also convened at WashU.

― Elizabeth Hunter Assistant Professor of Drama, Performing Arts | Immersive Technology Collective