Help Preserve UW Research

UW–Madison has been one of the top 10 leaders in research for decades. But now, a convergence of federal actions jeopardizes the university’s ability to pursue breakthroughs and remain globally competitive. Grant terminations, legal uncertainties, shifts in funding priorities, and removal of support for international students and scholars threaten the UW’s ability to innovate and support rising talent.

Ongoing and proposed challenges to research funding would have devastating impacts on the university and the broader community, from canceling crucial research programs to limiting opportunities to train students to enter the workforce. A loss of funding would interrupt student progress on degrees and career readiness and potentially even damage the state and nation’s innovation economy and international competitiveness.

Continued federal investment is key to sustaining this vital work. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has created two emergency support funds to help safeguard UW–Madison’s research mission and preserve its historic excellence.

The Graduate Fellows Forward Fund provides emergency support for graduate students who have lost external funding or are at risk of losing it. And the Research Forward Fund will provide faculty research support for projects whose funding has been frozen or canceled.

Some graduate students who have lost funding may be forced to leave UW–Madison or pause their academic journey.

For instance, the National Science Foundation (NSF) graduate fellows program, which supports early-career scientists, suffered a 50 percent funding cut this year. There are currently 45 UW–Madison students who were highly rated by NSF but didn’t receive the fellowship and need to quickly find new funding sources.

“Research saves lives and transforms our world,” says Dorota Brzezińska, vice chancellor for research. “We must act quickly to support our talented students to continue their academic journey at the UW and fuel their ability to live out the Wisconsin Idea.”

The Research Forward Fund will support research projects that have either been frozen or canceled. As of mid-September, this included more than 100 projects. Critical work on Alzheimer’s disease is just one area at risk. Sterling Johnson, director of the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention, notes the effect of such uncertainty.

“We’re all on edge,” he says. “There’s worry and doubt, not just in the workforce, but among research participants who wonder if we’ll be able to stay with them in their journey through this disease.”

A small infusion of bridge funding can help labs keep moving while they seek larger grants, publish critical findings, or pivot to new research directions when traditional funding is no longer available. Research leaders will prioritize projects on the verge of discoveries that have the greatest impact in their field and potential for economic impact.

For more information on how you can help the university continue to fuel discovery, innovation, and economic vitality, visit go.wisc.edu/research-impact.