SEED Research Program

SEED Research Program

Funds UW Madison spin-out research teams to advance commercialization through faculty-led projects.

The State Economic Engagement and Development (SEED) Research Program, now administered by the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub at UW–Madison, funds commercialization research conducted on the Madison campus by faculty or academic staff who hold equity ownership in a Wisconsin-registered company. The program supports the spinoff commercialization pathway by providing non-dilutive grant funding for research that directly advances the commercial interests of a faculty-owned Wisconsin enterprise. The FY2028 cycle carries a total pool of $550,000 distributed among 5 to 11 successful proposals, yielding an effective per-award range of approximately $50,000 to $110,000.

The FY2028 submission deadline is February 20, 2027. Funding decisions are issued 6 to 8 weeks after the deadline. Eligibility is restricted to UW–Madison faculty and academic staff who hold a current campus appointment and have equity ownership in a Wisconsin company; the associated research must be conducted on the Madison campus. Funds flow through the applicant's academic department on 101 accounts, and fringe benefits are not charged against the award. The required application package includes a cover page, budget form, six-page proposal, references, abstract, investigator and environment statement, company statement, support letters, and a company acknowledgement form. Submissions go to entrepreneurship.hub@wisc.edu.

The SEED program occupies a focused niche: it targets the research-commercialization interface specifically for faculty who have already formed a Wisconsin company and need additional campus-based research to move that company forward. This differs from proof-of-concept programs that fund pre-company technology validation. Investigators who win SEED awards often layer this funding with WARF licensing support and Wisconsin-specific economic development resources, making it an effective instrument for UW–Madison faculty-founder teams at the early spinoff stage.