The University of Wisconsin–Madison has joined the Institute of Applied Engineering (IAE) Academic Consortium. The consortium is a collaboration of more than 40 universities that connects academic institutions with U.S. government sponsors, including the Department of Defense, national laboratories, and other federal agencies, to address complex national security and technology challenges. 

Membership provides UW–Madison researchers, faculty, staff, and students with access to a broad ecosystem focused on accelerating collaboration, research, innovation, and workforce development in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum science, human performance, digital engineering, and other emerging technologies relevant to national and homeland security. The consortium is designed to facilitate rapid engagement with government sponsors through FAR-compliant contracting mechanisms and collaborative research opportunities and streamlined access to two $85M IDIQs from the Army Research Lab (ARL) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM). 

Opportunities available through the consortium include:

• Sponsored research and development projects
• Analysis and study efforts
• Undergraduate and graduate capstone projects
• Internship programs
• Technology innovation and design talks
• Hackathons and prize challenges
• Unsolicited proposal pathways for innovative ideas 

If you’re interested in the topic areas, you can also join the IAE Academic Consortium portal to browse and receive email notifications of new opportunities. Additional information about the consortium can be found at IAE Academic Consortium web site.

To learn more about how UW–Madison researchers, centers, and students can engage through this new partnership, please reach out to WINS at nationalsecurity@wisc.edu.