Centers, consortia and institutes

Our centers, institutes and consortia help drive discovery

A diverse, robust array of engineering research centers, institutes, research groups and consortia builds on UW-Madison’s rich tradition of cross-disciplinary research and helps advance knowledge and discovery and create connections within the research community and with industry and the private sector. The College of Engineering is home to many nationally and internationally recognized research centers, institutes and research groups.

Trans-departmental research centers and institutes

Grainger Institute for Engineering—an incubator for transdisciplinary research and technological advances across the College of Engineering
Materials Research Science and Engineering Center—an NSF-sponsored center that brings together interdisciplinary teams to advance knowledge of disordered materials
Forward BIO Institute—an initiative to advance biomanufacturing research, entrepreneurship and workforce development
Machines, Algorithms and Data Lab (MADLAB)—a center of excellence focused on developing the next generation of machine learning theory, algorithms and applications
Wisconsin Institute for Healthcare Systems Engineering—brings together practitioners and researchers to create new knowledge and design better systems in healthcare
Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute—working to increase the representation, advancement and workplace satisfaction of female faculty and members of underrepresented groups on the faculty and in leadership at UW-Madison
Several core college facilities support college research. Among those is the Wisconsin Centers for Nanoscale Technology, suite of shared instrumentation facilities providing equipment, facilities and expertise in microelectronics, nano-fabrication technology, electron microscopy, micro-analysis and soft materials characterization.

Department centers and research groups

Our engineering departments are home to more than 150 research laboratories and groups, including the multi-investigator centers listed below. Visit any of our departmental research websites to learn more about their research areas of focus, laboratories, and the people who are driving discovery within them. You can also browse our faculty and staff directory to learn more about individual research interests.

Biomedical Engineering

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Modified Asphalt Research Center
Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory
Water Science and Engineering Laboratory
Wisconsin Structures & Materials Testing Laboratory
Wisconsin Transportation Center

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Engineering Physics

Interdisciplinary Professional Programs

Industrial and Systems Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

College consortia

Through research consortia, the college shares its expertise with government and industry. Members benefit through seeing work in progress, helping set research directions, and interacting with faculty and students.