The Wisconsin Impact Nexus

Each year, the Grainger Institute for Engineering (GIE) awards bold, innovative, and unconventional research-related activities through the Wisconsin Impact Nexus (WIN) grant program. WIN Awards provide dedicated funds and in-kind support to College of Engineering faculty for ideas that cannot be funded through traditional means. Applicants are encouraged to iterate on their proposed ideas with GIE.

Announcement of Opportunity

Evaluation Criteria

Proposed ideas should align with at least one of three key areas:

  1. Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Pre-Disclosure, and Grad Student and Entrepreneurial Postdoc Training
  2. Industry Engagement, Consortia, and Sponsored Agreements
  3. Large-Scale Interdisciplinary Initiatives

Successful applications will clearly articulate:

  • The originality of the idea and/or uniqueness of the subject matter
  • A clear vision for the desired outcome and its relevance to society
  • Alignment with the mission of GIE, the College of Engineering, and/or the Wisconsin Idea

Questions? Please submit pre-application questions to giedirector@engr.wisc.edu.

To Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Eligible PIs: College of Engineering faculty

Funding Period: 1-2 years

Award Type: In-kind support (via consultation with our subject matter experts) and dedicated funds

Review Process: All applications will be reviewed. Applicants may be invited to iterate with the review committee.

Apply