WARF announces total 2026 support for UW–Madison research

Figures represent value of grants and in-kind support delivered to campus in past year

CONTACT:
Jeanan Yasiri Moe
Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs
[email protected] | (608) 960-9892

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation today announced its total annual investment disbursed over the past year in research and innovation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During the fiscal year ending in June 2026, WARF provided $160.7 million in total support to UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research, which includes annual grants for both institutions as well as supplemental grants for special initiatives.

The overall total includes a recently announced $27.0 million investment to accelerate high-impact research priorities and accounts for WARF's in-kind support for operations, investments and inventors, valued at $39.6 million.

"This commitment is about giving UW-Madison researchers the resources, spaces and support they need to move ambitious ideas forward," says WARF CEO Erik Iverson. "WARF is proud to help sustain an environment where discovery can grow into new knowledge, new companies and new solutions for Wisconsin and beyond."

Investing in people, projects and possibilities

The total $160.7 million consisted of:

• $52.9 million for Research Projects to support strategic initiatives, research programs, grant matches, WARF Accelerator and WARF Therapeutics.
• $36.0 million for Researchers, in the form of direct support to current and future faculty, graduate students and staff scientists.
• $27.0 million for Research Priorities in the form of a supplemental grant to fund special initiatives in critical areas identified by UW-Madison leadership.
• $39.6 million of Operational, Investment and Invention Support, provided by WARF at no cost to the university.
• $5.2 million to the Morgridge Institute for Research, a nonprofit medical research organization with a mission to advance human health.

"UW-Madison's research community is one of the university's greatest assets, and WARF's trustees take seriously our role in helping that community thrive," says Deborah Keller, chair of WARF's Board of Trustees. "By investing in people, facilities and the path from discovery to impact, we are helping ensure that promising ideas have the opportunity to reach their full potential."

The WARF Board of Trustees works in close consultation with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) in determining the allocation of grant funds and ensuring ongoing future support for UW-Madison research. The Vice Chancellor identifies strategic priorities for maintaining UW-Madison's global standing as a leader in research and the Board determines the level of funding that will best amplify those priorities. In fiscal year 2026, WARF delivered $115.9 million directly to the OVCR to fund projects, people and strategic priorities.

"WARF's annual support provides the foundation that allows UW-Madison researchers to think bigger, collaborate more broadly, and pursue transformative discoveries," says Dorota Brzezinska, vice chancellor for research at UW-Madison. "From supporting faculty and students to investing in strategic initiatives and emerging areas of research, these resources help ensure that UW-Madison remains at the forefront of innovation and scientific excellence."

The support provided to the Morgridge Institute, valued at $5.2 million, reflects WARF's ongoing commitment to the interdisciplinary institute's mission to improve human health through innovative biomedical discoveries.

"Our partnership with WARF gives our scientists the flexibility to explore promising ideas in biology, spark collaborations across campus and advance discoveries that improve human health," says Morgridge CEO Brad Schwartz.

Special grant targets critical research priorities

This year, at the special request of Vice Chancellor Brzezinska and interim Chancellor Eric Wilcots, the WARF Board approved a supplemental grant of $27.0 million for special initiatives targeted at growing UW-Madison's research capacity in critical technology and health science areas that align with research priorities at federal agencies. The initiatives will focus on fusion energy, national security, quantum computing and sensing, and brain health with a focus on psychoactive medicines and neuroplasticity.

The special grant reflects WARF's ability to respond with nimble and flexible support as UW-Madison adapts to global competition and advances the future of research and innovation. The university's most recent strategic framework, for example, prioritizes transformative and innovative opportunities for students, including research experiences, and advancing ambitious research that addresses significant societal challenges.

"We are incredibly grateful to WARF and the WARF Board for their deep commitment to research at UW-Madison, dating back to WARF's beginnings in 1925. These investments strengthen a university research community adept at turning bold questions into real benefits for Wisconsin and far beyond," says Wilcots. "WARF's willingness to meet this moment with flexible support lets us build on our capacity in fusion energy, quantum science, brain health and national security and provides valuable opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students to be part of innovation and discovery."

A legacy of support - and a vision for the future

Since its first grant of $1,200 in 1928, WARF has provided more than $5.1 billion in support to UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research, which includes grants for the construction or revitalization of 52 research facilities across the UW-Madison campus and $206 million over the past 20 years to faculty, student and staff inventors who collaborated with WARF in commercializing their patented discoveries. WARF's self-sustaining model - which covers the full cost of patent management and commercialization - has saved the university and Wisconsin taxpayers $575 million during the past 15 years.

About WARF

Incorporated in 1925, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) patents and licenses discoveries from UW-Madison research, manages an investment portfolio generated from licensing and investment proceeds, and provides annual grants to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research to support further scientific investigation and research. By driving collaborations among researchers, investors, industry and entrepreneurs, WARF commercializes innovations from campus through various initiatives. WARF Accelerator improves the commercialization potential of university intellectual property through industry engagement and investment in proof-of-concept milestones to validate market potential, demonstrate commercial value and de-risk technology. WARF Therapeutics partners with UW-Madison and Morgridge Institute researchers employing an industry-focused approach to improve the value propositions of drug candidates. WARF Ventures is an early-stage venture fund that invests in startups based on UW/WARF technologies. Learn more at warf.org.

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