Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Strengthening UW-Madison with a Century of Support

At WARF, we believe that true impact is born from collaboration. For 100 years, we’ve been building bridges between the brilliant minds at UW-Madison and industry leaders worldwide, fostering the connections that turn groundbreaking ideas into real-world solutions. With a network of over 500 global partners, we nurture the journey from lab to market, driving advancements in everything from biohealth and personalized medicine to agriculture and computer science. As we celebrate our centennial, we remain dedicated to fueling innovation and shaping a brighter future, together.

Learn More

A Century of Achievements

Explore a century of innovation with our interactive timeline, highlighting WARF’s most
transformative moments and key milestones in scientific advancement.

  • 1996

    INVENTIONS

    Ever wonder how vitamin D got in your milk? Or how we can swallow pills? WARF inventions have a surprising history of improving everyday life. Dive in and discover how we have changed the world!

    See More Inventions

  • 1928

    GRANTS

    WARF has invested over $4.5 billion in UW-Madison research, but our impact goes beyond the lab. From researcher support to iconic campus landmarks, explore how WARF fuels a thriving university…

    See More Grants

  • An archived magazine page with the headline "The Wonders of the Wisconsin Dells."
    1954

    MILESTONES

    WARF’s 100-year history is full of unexpected twists. From saving the Wisconsin Dells to Nobel Prize winners, supporting the vision of Aldo Leopold and pioneering stem cell research, learn more about how we broke the mold…

    See More Milestones

Together Beyond 100

A collective greater than the sum of its parts. We certainly didn’t make it to 100 alone. We made it together.

Here we look ahead at the next frontier of research and how WARF is poised to drive the future of discovery and innovation for the next 100 years.

Learn More

Centennial News & Updates

Keep up with the latest centennial news & events throughout the year to commemorate 100 years of fostering scientific discovery and innovation.

Explore Now

From idea to company to cure
From idea to company to cure

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation helps UW researchers turn science into start-ups. Faraz Choudhury PhD’17 arrived at UW–Madison seeking a problem to solve. And not a small problem, either. Choudhury…

Read More

After a century investing in innovation, WARF looks to the future
After a century investing in innovation, WARF looks to the future

When biochemistry professor Harry Steenbock filed to patent a groundbreaking vitamin D-fortification process in 1924, he also sparked the creation of an organization primed to bolster innovation for the next…

Read More

A century of research partnerships
A century of research partnerships

CALS scientists are furthering the success and legacy of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation 100 years after its founding. Hector DeLuca left his mark on the UW–Madison campus — literally….

Read More

Partner With WARF

Shaping the Future.
A century of progress wouldn’t be possible without collaboration. As we celebrate our past, we’re focused on the future. Join WARF as we continue to drive innovation and support scientific breakthroughs for the next 100 years.

WARF