35 research teams invited to submit proposals

Thirty-five research teams encompassing a wide array of disciplines have been selected to submit full proposals as part of the Discovery Seed Grant Initiative at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery.

“We were extremely impressed by the quality and scope of the proposals,” says Marsha Mailick Seltzer, WID’s interim director. “And the range of researchers shows that this new program will be important in expanding our strong tradition of interdisciplinary research.”

Detailed proposals are being sought from principal investigators in 24 different departments, and the research teams generally reflect a range of disciplines.

A committee of 12 faculty members, chaired by Paul Peercy, dean of the College of Engineering, chose the 35 teams after reviewing 220 letters of intent which were submitted in June. Also participating in the review were Seltzer, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation managing director Carl Gulbrandsen, and Michael Falk, WARF’s director of intellectual property.

Fully developed research proposals are due by Dec. 15, and the Discovery Seed Grant awards will be announced on Feb. 15, 2007. The seed grant project will provide a total of $3 million in private funding to help jump-start research projects.

The selection panel considered proposals of up to $200,000 a year for two years or the same total of $400,000 over three years.

The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, which will be located in the 1300 block of University Avenue, represents a dynamic public-private partnership. It was made possible by a $50 million gift from alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, a $50 million contribution from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and $50 million from state government.

Two institutes - one private and one public - will bring together scientists from a broad spectrum of disciplines to attack health problems, advance regenerative medicine and solve other important problems.