• Grants Specialist II, Department of Surgery
    WashU Medicine

“While our software and processes may mirror that of the corporate world, our product and stakeholders are quite different. In my role, I play a small part in the mission to end cancer, provide global solutions to disease and pain, and train the next generation of scientists.”

Danielle Schulte

For nearly seven years at WashU Medicine, Danielle Schulte has embraced a philosophy that guides both grant management and life itself: “It depends.” As a grant specialist II, she navigates the complex, ever-changing landscape of research funding, where every situation presents unique challenges and considerations. 

“Every situation will be unique,” Schulte explains, “be it the process to apply for funding, how the funds can be spent, what research can be conducted, what resources can be used, even how grants are closed out and information is disseminated.” 

This adaptability has proved valuable during her tenure at WashU, particularly through recent global challenges. “The world was upended with a pandemic, we have had social and political upheavals, and my personal life and those of my colleagues have been forever changed,” she reflects. “Through all of that and more, WashU has been steady, pivoting to work from home options and offering additional support in stress management, elder and childcare help, nutrition guidance and mindfulness.” 

What drives your commitment to this work? 

I may be in the nitty gritty of spreadsheets, reviewing grant policies and nagging about due dates, but I’m doing it with a running soundtrack of hope. While, right now, it depends, one day, it may not even be a worry.

Beyond the technical aspects of her role, Schulte finds inspiration in the larger purpose of her work. She sees herself as part of a team working toward solutions to global health challenges, supporting researchers who are training the next generation of scientists. “I am part of a team with motivations that are more,” she says, “and I hope to always remind those in this community that they are more.”