Eight research teams were awarded seed grants Wednesday to jump-start studies at the future Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery buildings on UW-Madison campus, set to be completed in 2010, according to a University Communications statement.
""We've been overwhelmed by the level of excitement about the Discovery program, and impressed by the innovative ideas proposed by UW-Madison faculty and staff,"" James Morgridge, a UW-Madison alumnus and $50 million contributor to the project, said in the statement.
After candidates submitted proposals last June, faculty narrowed down the 220 letters of intent, invited 35 candidates to elaborate on their plans and chose eight final winners.
The winning proposals, according to the statement, stretch across 25 departments and will look in-depth at issues ranging from collaborative efforts on large-scale production of human embryonic stem cells to drug discovery to reducing the performance gap of underprivileged school children.
""The seed grants essentially lay the groundwork for the research that will be housed there,"" Morgridge said of WID in the statement.
A part of the Campus Master Plan, the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery consists of two facilities, one public and one private. Set to be on the 1200-1300 blocks of University Avenue, they will ""bring together scientists from a broad spectrum of disciplines,"" the statement said.
—Lexie Clinton
