UWM Research Foundation: Awards $475,000 in Catalyst Grants

MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Research Foundation (UWMRF) announced $475,000 in Catalyst Grants to fund research on a range of topics, from testing new drug therapies for cancer to developing innovative materials for energy. The grants are made possible by support from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation.

The Catalyst Grant Program is designed to provide seed funding for promising research projects at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) that have strong potential for commercialization and impact on the local economy. Projects are selected based on their scientific excellence as judged by outside experts as well as their commercial potential – including potential for partnerships, intellectual property agreements and start-up companies.

The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation continues to fulfill its commitment to the UWMRF by supporting its efforts to foster research and innovation at UWM with the goal of strengthening the regional economy by helping to spawn new business and create jobs.

“The Bradley Foundation has been supporting the Catalyst Grants since 2007, and we continue to be impressed by the creativity, depth and scope of the research being done,” said President and CEO Michael W. Grebe.

The Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation recently joined the Catalyst Grant Program as a contributor. “We support the Catalyst Grant Program, because it assists the university and at the same time promises the growth of new business in our community,” said President Bill Haberman.

Eight project topics were selected to receive funding, including:

* Software Tools to Automate Liver Biopsy Analysis.

Joseph Bockhorst, electrical engineering and computer science

* New Compounds to Fight Cancer.

Yi-Qiang Cheng, biological sciences

* Next Generation Memory Storage Device Based on Graphene.

Lian Li, physics

* Photocatalysts to Capture CO2 and Create Fuels from Sunlight.

Ying Li, mechanical engineering

* Tools to Manage Large-Scale Software Development.

Ethan Munson, electrical engineering and computer science

* Nontoxic Coatings to Prevent Underwater Biofouling.

Michael Nosonovsky, mechanical engineering

* New Tool for Genetic Studies that Manipulates Single DNA Fragments.

Jorg Woehl, chemistry

* New Antibiotic Compounds that Minimize Antibiotic Resistance.

Ching-Hong Yang, biological sciences

“We are delighted to see such strong proposals being funded,” says Colin Scanes, UWM vice chancellor for research and economic development. “This bodes well for the future. Our faculty continues to do outstanding research.”

This is the sixth group of projects funded under the research foundation’s Catalyst Grant Program. A seventh round of projects will be funded in the fall, made possible by the ongoing support of Rockwell Automation.

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(CONTACT: Brian Thompson, UWMRF president, 414-229-3397, briant@uwmfdn.org.)