Expanding a consortium that strengthens ties between the college and the steel industry. Commercializing chip-cooling tech. Designing an economical nuclear microreactor.
Through funding and in-kind support, Wisconsin Impact Nexus grants are igniting a ripple effect, enabling College of Engineering faculty and staff to amplify their research in ways that accelerate progress and open doors.
Administered through the college’s Grainger Institute for Engineering, the Wisconsin Impact Nexus grant program focuses on entrepreneurship, industry engagement, or large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives. The program is an evolution and reimagining of the institute’s seed grant program, which has funded lab equipment and software procurement, precompetitive research projects, seminars and collaborative workshops since its inception in 2015.
“With this model, we can come in and say, ‘We can help you with a project plan,’” says Oliver Schmitz, Grainger Institute for Engineering director, College of Engineering associate dean for corporate engagement and entrepreneurship, and a professor of nuclear engineering and engineering physics. “We can help you with engagement with your industry partner, or help you with your technology innovation. We can approach policymakers to advocate for your idea. Working together, we can do all of these things that can make an idea stronger.”
It’s a model that amplifies support provided through traditional grants, where faculty receive grants to advance the research laid out in their proposals.
And the Wisconsin Impact Nexus grants already are resonating with faculty. Take Adelle Wright. An assistant professor of nuclear engineering and engineering physics who is leading a supported project, Wright says the program’s multifaceted support can ultimately make her projects more impactful.
“From my perspective, the WIN is really unique, and I wish more projects were run like this,” Wright says. “We had a short application to pitch the project, worked with the Grainger Institute for Engineering to get feedback, and they shared ideas on how we could connect to different areas of campus. It has really built on and expanded the scope of my initial pitch.”
The Wisconsin Impact Nexus supports research through grants issued to annual cohorts. Schmitz says proposal applications are short—half a page or less. In 2025, eight projects earned funding in areas ranging from bicycle design to quantum computing to nuclear fusion. Support typically runs one or two years.
In her work, Wright wants to bring researchers from across UW–Madison together to design a framework for diagnostics innovations for current and future fusion energy systems.
“This type of methodology is intended to streamline the process of development and digital testing,” Wright says. “What we’re thinking about doing is integrating it into a digital design system in such a way that we can provide a tool set that’s useful to anyone facing the broad challenge of something slow and expensive to design and prototype, and then build and test.”
To do that, Wright is looking to tap into the strong community of fusion researchers across the College of Engineering and in other areas of campus, including the Department of Physics. Wright also hopes to explore how artificial intelligence tools can be implemented into design processes.
She’s beginning her research with a study of the current landscape for digital design tools before moving on to design and implementation. She’s hoping to have a proof of concept within two years.
In another project, Lennon Rodgers and Darryl Thelen established the Initiative for Cycling Innovation and Sustainability, capitalizing on Madison’s status as a platinum bicycle-friendly community. Rodgers, director of the college’s Grainger Engineering Design and Innovation Lab, and Thelen, the John Bollinger Chair of mechanical engineering and Bernard A. and Frances M. Weidman Professor in mechanical engineering, are fostering collaboration between engineering students and industry partners to drive cycling innovations in sustainability; design and performance; and health, wellness and safety.
Rodgers says the effort will tap into industry partnership opportunities in and around Madison. It will also build upon and support ongoing initiatives, including a bicycle frame design course for students and a speaker series launching in spring 2026 to connect faculty, staff and students with experts in the bicycle industry.
He and Thelen are also connecting with engineering colleagues who conduct cycling-related research—helmet design, for example—and also want to engage with cycling industry partners. Collaborating with those industry partners should create more education and research opportunities for students and faculty, and support talent development, says Rodgers. “Trek’s here, and we have Pacific Cycle and Planet Bike,” he says. “There’s SRAM in Chicago, and so many other connections. Madison itself has strong bike infrastructure and a bike-friendly culture. We have the potential to create a hub that leads in innovation right here on campus.”
Schmitz says the Wisconsin Impact Nexus grant program is already working on its second cohort. In addition to positive early feedback, Schmitz sees growing interest from faculty who may apply for future grants. As the program continues to grow, Schmitz says he hopes it can support more faculty and position them to succeed in projects that push their research areas forward. One goal is to link it to the new I3-Initiative of the UW-Madison Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research.
“We’re learning how to do this strategic integration better,” he says. “Another key goal for us is to support more transdisciplinary efforts. We want to help our faculty be truly cross-disciplinary.”
Schmitz is also the Thomas and Suzanne Werner Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics.
In 2025, other funded projects include:
- An initiative by Alain H. Peyrot Associate Professor of Structural Engineering Hannah Blum to expand and strengthen industry partnerships through the Consortium for Holistic Steel Systems. The consortium is an industry-academia partnership focused on improving steel construction.
- Ongoing research by Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Aarushi Bhargava and her students to develop a noninvasive therapeutic technology that employs ultrasound to soften fibrosis tissue. The project could improve treatment options for a range of diseases, including heart disease and pancreatic cancer.
- A project by Electrical and Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Eric Tervo to develop an electroluminescent refrigeration system for cooling high-power electronic devices. Electroluminescent refrigeration converts heat to light, which is radiated away from a chip or device to cool it.
- An effort by Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Assistant Professor Ben Lindley to develop a horizontal pebble bed nuclear reactor that is capable of continuous refueling with new fuel spheres during operation. Such a design could be used in small- or micro-sized nuclear reactors, which could reduce construction costs compared to large-scale reactors and enable continuous operation and improved fuel economy, compared to current micro reactor designs.
- A project led by Industrial and Systems Engineering Associate Professor Hantang Qin to establish an advanced manufacturing and production center, partnering with local companies and national manufacturing hubs to advance AI-enabled advanced manufacturing for space and aerospace. That center will not only address areas that are of critical importance to the United States, but also will establish UW–Madison as a leader in those domains and strengthen Wisconsin’s industrial base for next-generation manufacturing.
- A collaborative project led by Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Senior Scientist David Smith and Physics Associate Professor Matthew Otten, which will bring together a team of interdisciplinary experts from fields at the intersections of quantum sciences development and fusion research. After identifying research gaps and opportunities, the project will support micro-grants for early-stage research and will facilitate campus connections to local startups working on quantum technology and fusion energy.
Featured image caption: The Wisconsin Impact Nexus will support faculty research projects through grants provided by the Grainger Institute for Engineering. Eight projects won grants in the inaugural 2025 WIN awards.