Research

UW–Madison’s research enterprise spans every domain that matters to national security, from the quantum technologies that will define the next era of computing and sensing, to the fusion science that promises strategic energy advantage, to the health security research that protects service members and the nation.

For Mission Partners

Ready to engage?

See who we work with and how to engage, explore the talent pipeline the mission draws on, or start the conversation with WINS.

Campus Momentum

In keeping with long-time practice, UW–Madison is organizing itself around the challenges that will define the coming decades — and when mission needs meet a university organizing at this scale, the result is capability partners can build on.

Wisconsin RISE

The Wisconsin RISE Initiative is building the university’s expertise across three areas of strategic focus: artificial intelligence (RISE-AI), environment and sustainable energy (RISE-EARTH), and immunology and healthspan (RISE-THRIVE), backed by research infrastructure and interdisciplinary collaboration at campus scale.

Engineering Moonshots

The College of Engineering has launched its Engineering Moonshots: audacious research frontiers from fusion-driven power and practical quantum to embodied AI, that map directly onto the university’s strengths, the DoD Critical Technology Areas, and the science and security priorities of the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission.

A New College for AI

The launch in July 2026 of the College of Computing & Artificial Intelligence unites computer sciences, statistics, and the information school, making UW–Madison one of the first major universities to take on AI at college scale.

Signature Strengths

Quantum

Supports: Quantum & Battlefield Information Dominance

Quantum at Wisconsin

The Pegasus-III spherical tokamak, its cylindrical vacuum vessel wrapped in red magnet coils inside a black-and-red steel frame, in the UW–Madison fusion laboratory.

Fusion

Supports: Strategic Energy · Scaled Directed Energy

Fusion at Wisconsin

Illustration of glowing blue neurons and dendrites against a dark background, representing PANTHER's brain injury research.

Health

Supports: Biomanufacturing · Force Health & Human Performance

Health security at Wisconsin

Research Domains

Enduring Wisconsin strengths, aligned to the missions that need them, including the Department of Defense’s Critical Technology Areas (CTAs) and the Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission. Learn more about our research areas and the mission areas they support.