WelchX Retreat and Pilot Grants

Welch eXperimental (WelchX) Collaboration Retreats

This program aims to bring together Texas researchers to topically focused chemistry meetings and stimulate them to ideate on challenging issues of our time. Early-to mid-career tenured faculty will be invited to this fully in-person summer meeting to stimulate collaborations that foster lasting connections among the participants, thus increasing the density of research ties across Texas and spurring the growth of basic research in the chemical sciences.

The theme for the WelchX 2026 collaboration retreat is “Chemistry of Life”
The retreat’s activities are designed to spur creative, innovative, collaborative ideas that address the most challenging and unexplored issues in bioorganic, medicinal, analytical, and macromolecular chemistry that relate to biological processes; the chemistry of life in its broadest interpretation.

Participation Requirements:
The WelchX 2026 retreat is a fully in-person event that will take place at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston in Houston, Texas from June 8-11, 2026 (Monday evening – Thursday midday).

Eligibility:
To participate in the retreat, you must first apply and be selected by the WelchX organizing committee. All early- to mid-career tenured faculty in chemical science disciplines at Texas institutions are eligible to apply. The organizing committee will also consider late-stage Assistant Professors who articulate a compelling rationale for participating (see Required Application Materials). Participants must adhere to the Participation Requirements, including attending the retreat in Houston in its entirety.

Applications for the 2026 WelchX Collaboration Retreats are due February 28, 2026

"Chemical Research for Grand Challenges"

The 2025 WelchX retreat took place Monday, June 16 - Thursday, June 19 at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston in Houston. The theme was “Chemical Research for Grand Challenges” and we had 18 researchers join from University of Houston, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Rice University, Texas Christian University, Baylor University, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, University of North Texas, The University of Texas at San Antonio, and Lamar University.

The retreat’s activities were designed to spur creative, innovative, and collaborative ideas that address the most challenging and unexplored issues in climate-smart chemistry, clean energy, materials production and usage, minerals processing, and clean water. Researchers paired off into nine teams of two and each team submitted a proposal for a collaborative $100,000 pilot grant based on the research they developed together.

The current WelchX Pilot Grant list as of January 1, 2026.

Read about ongoing WelchX Pilot Programs.