contact: media-services-team@uwm.edu
| MILWAUKEE – The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has received a four-year, $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to rethink how the university moves research discoveries from the laboratory into practical use. Led by Ilya Avdeev, director of the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center and professor of mechanical engineering, the UWM TRANSLATE initiative will strengthen connections among UWM researchers, businesses, communities and other organizations. The goal is not only to increase the real-world impact of UWM research, but also to develop a model that other urban public research universities can adopt. “Universities produce discoveries that could improve lives, strengthen the economy and address societal challenges,” Avdeev said. “We want to redesign the system so that research translation becomes part of the university’s culture, rather than something that happens on the side.” What’s different? Traditional approaches to research translation include licensing technologies and creating startups. TRANSLATE will take a broader view, examining the university’s entire architecture of support for research translation – including faculty incentives, tenure and promotion criteria, professional development and industry partnership formation. A major focus will be making UWM research more “use-inspired” by identifying problems and technology gaps faced by industry and other organizations. “Many faculty members want to work with industry, but they don’t necessarily know what the technology gaps are or what companies are looking for,” Avdeev said. “Those conversations only happen when a strategic partnership builds trust. This is where we see the biggest opportunity for change and the opportunity to design something new.” The initiative also will provide researchers with new resources to move promising ideas toward practical applications. Training will be offered to students, faculty and university leaders, while an accelerator for translational research will provide between $50,000 and $100,000 to selected faculty projects. Three in College of Engineering & Applied Science have already been approved. They include a robotic arm that helps with patient rehabilitation, an aquatic phosphate sensor that works on contact, and an AI -powered tool that aids in cybersecurity.Mini-grants, travel support and funding for industry mentors also will be available. All disciplines will take part TRANSLATE will expand relationships developed through involvement with alumni and industry advisory boards. And it will leverage the UWM Connected Systems Institute, where industry and academia collaborate on advanced manufacturing research and education.The effort is designed to involve researchers across disciplines. While translation may lead to a product, license or startup in some fields, other outcomes could include exhibitions, documentaries or other ways of bringing research to the public. Ali Abedi, UWM vice chancellor for research and professor of electrical engineering, is a co-investigator on the grant. Representatives from the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center, UWM Research Foundation, Office of Research and Office of Strategic Partnerships also are involved.Jennifer Gutzman, the LEC’s Kellner Entrepreneurship Fellow and associate professor of biological sciences, will lead development of skill-building programs focused on research translation for students, faculty and staff. Joel Fogelso, UWM’s chief innovation & partnerships officer, will lead the industry collaboration aspect. Finally, this initiative will be supported by translational experts at the University of Michigan – a grant partner and NSF I-Corps Great Lakes Hub collaborator. UWM is one of only a few institutions nationwide to receive an NSF grant through this program. Researchers will establish a baseline dashboard to track progress throughout the four-year initiative. Building from a campus ecosystem, rooted in engineering UWM’s long history of cultivating entrepreneurial training began in 2012 when Avdeev; Nathaniel Stern, professor of art & design and mechanical engineering, and Brian Thompson, then-head of the UWM Research Foundation, launched the Student Startup Challenge, helping students in any discipline turn ideas into business plans. That effort grew into NSF-funded I-Corps programs for researchers and ultimately the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center, a campuswide launchpad for innovation transfer. Ultimately, Avdeev said, success will be measured not simply by the number of startups or licenses, but by whether TRANSLATE creates lasting change. “The biggest measure of success will be whether we’ve actually changed the system – and whether those changes can be sustained after the grant ends,” he said. |
| About UWM The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has an ambitious mission as both a top-tier research university and an access institution, striving to ensure that students have equitable opportunities to earn a college degree. UWM educates a diverse student body of approximately 23,000 students from 83 countries. About 43% of its undergraduates are first-generation college students. Its unique and top-rated programs include Wisconsin’s only accredited schools of architecture and public health, the only North American school dedicated solely to freshwater sciences and a film program ranked among the top 30 in the world. It has the largest and top-rated online education program in Wisconsin. UW-Milwaukee partners with leading companies to conduct joint research, promote entrepreneurship, provide student internships and serve as an economic engine for southeastern Wisconsin. The Princeton Review named UW-Milwaukee a 2026 “Best Midwestern” university based on overall academic excellence and student reviews. |
