PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The State Economic Engagement & Development (SEED) Research Program grants are administered by Discovery to Product (D2P). SEED grants allow UW–Madison faculty and academic staff with ownership in a Wisconsin company to apply for funding to engage in innovative research, generate additional private and public sector support for their research programs, and promote technology transfer between the University and industry.

ELIGIBILITY
Prior to writing a proposal, we highly recommend that innovators engage with D2P’s Innovation and Commercialization mentors. These consultations can prove helpful in framing the proposal’s research plan as a necessary and impactful step toward successful technology commercialization that benefits the company and broader Wisconsin economy. While not required, applicants who have completed entrepreneurship programs and have done market research are typically well positioned to apply for SEED funds.

To qualify for funding, the following three criteria must be met:

• The research will take place on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus;
• The faculty or academic staff applicant has ownership in a high-growth startup or emerging growth company that is located in or will locate in Wisconsin, offer significant potential for increasing jobs or increasing capital investment in Wisconsin, and which will benefit from their UW–Madison research; and
• The proposed research is designed to facilitate the commercialization of the company’s technology.

FUNDING LEVEL AND PERIOD
We invite proposals for fiscal year 2025 (funding available from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) that focus on research that is technically innovative, of interest to a broad economic sector, and has a high potential to benefit Wisconsin’s industrial and economic development in the near term. The $600,000 in currently available SEED funding will be used to fund approximately 6-12 proposals. SEED awards are funded on 101 accounts which means that any salary awarded will not have fringe benefits charged to this fund.

Deadline to apply: The deadline for proposals for fiscal year 2025 is Thursday, February 15, 2024.

Important note: There are changes to reporting requirements for fiscal year 2024. Please review changes under Reporting Requirements and Forms. Similar reporting requirement may apply for fiscal year 2025 recipients.

More proposal and application information