WARF will award 2-5 grants from a $100K pool
CONTACT:
Jeanan Yasiri Moe
Director of Strategic Communications
[email protected] | (608) 960-9892
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation has launched a spring challenge to inspire and advance technologies that unlock the dynamic potential of microbiomes. Principal Investigators (PIs) and their teams are invited to submit a brief disclosure form and questionnaire by March 1, 2021.
Technologies related to any aspect of complex microbial communities will be considered, including: probiotics, prebiotics, human or animal supplements, algorithms, research tools and methods of analysis. Proposed research should be completed in a year.
Submissions are due to WARF by March 1. Criteria include:
- Project team must include a PI at UW–Madison or Morgridge Institute for Research
- Technical readiness
- Commercial potential
- Concepts must be new (not something previously disclosed to WARF)
“UW–Madison is a leader in exploring how massively intricate microbial interactions impact human health, animals and the environment,” said Erik Iverson, CEO of WARF. “Through the Microbiome Challenge Grant, WARF is thrilled to advance the next generation of analysis, tools and products that leverage this dynamic field.”
Steve Ackerman, UW–Madison Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, said, “We are grateful to WARF for supporting research in this rapidly developing field that has the potential to have a significant impact on human health and the environment. Understanding the complexity of the microbiome is a big challenge and the human microbiota can be affected from all sorts of factors. At UW–Madison, we are interested in discovering the roles these microorganisms play in immunity and disease in diverse niches of the human body, as well as unraveling the huge potential hiding behind the complex interactions between microbes and their hosts. This initiative will further our efforts in these areas and could pave the way for innovations in personalized medicine.”
For questions contact Beth Werner, director of IP, life sciences, at [email protected].
During the ongoing COVID-19 situation, WARF remains open for virtual business and continues to welcome innovation disclosures from all UW–Madison faculty, staff and students.
About WARF
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) helps steward the cycle of research, discovery, commercialization and investment for the University of Wisconsin–Madison and provides annual support to the university to advance research and innovation. Founded in 1925 as an independent, nonprofit foundation, WARF manages more than 2,000 patents and an investment portfolio as it funds university research, obtains patents for campus discoveries and licenses inventions to industry. For more information, visit warf.org and view WARF’s Cycle of Innovation.
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