Madison Reporter

The Wisconsin Idea Endowment has awarded grants for 2024, continuing its mission of fostering collaborations that address diverse issues, from enhancing entrepreneurship resources for newcomers to co-designing lake research with tribal communities in northern Wisconsin.

Eight projects and 12 seed grants have been funded through the Reilly-Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment. These initiatives demonstrate how University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty, staff, and students can work with community members to create and share knowledge and solutions benefiting Wisconsin residents and beyond.

The grant program honors Ineva Reilly Baldwin and Ira Baldwin. Ineva was known for her roles in university administration, championing student well-being, and promoting the arts and humanities. Ira served as a UW professor, researcher, administrator, dean of the Graduate School and College of Agriculture, and vice president for academic affairs. The endowment named after them was one of the largest gifts ever received by UW–Madison.

The Office of the Provost is now inviting proposals for new outreach activities partnering with community organizations for the 2025 Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment grant competition. The deadline to apply is September 30.

Projects receiving larger grants (up to $120,000) include:

- "A Whoopensocker of an Arts-based Literacy Program" led by Erica Halverson (School of Education) and Megan Monday (PBS WISCONSIN).

- "Creating an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Refugees" led by Sarah Schlosser and Lindsey Farnsworth (Division of Extension).

- "Creating Worker-Owned Cooperative Businesses with Women, BIPOC, and Immigrant Workers" led by Charity Schmidt and Courtney Berner (UW Center for Cooperatives).

- "Engaging Wisconsin’s Native Americans in Social Science Research" led by Yoshiko Herrera (College of Letters & Science) and Natalie Jones-Kerwin.

- "Phenological Initiatives for Indigenous Peoples in Limnology (PhIN) Project" led by Raymond Allen (Center for Limnology) and Gretchen Gerrish.

- "Supporting Locally Meaningful Chemistry Learning" led by Ryan Stowe (College of Letters & Science).

- "Wisconsin Latino Immigrant-Serving Organizations Project" led by Carolina Sarmiento (School of Human Ecology) and Armando Ibarra.

- "Supporting Survivors of Tech-Enabled Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Wisconsin" led by Rahul Chatterjee (College of Letters & Science).

Seed grants (up to $4,000) have been awarded to:

- Morgan Shields' project on increasing access to physical activity programs.

- Kristin Litzelman's public research on family caregiving.

- Hadley Rahrig's initiative on Filipinx narratives in American politics.

- Beth Fields' mobile app adoption project for adaptive horseback riding.

- Maria Dehnert's equitable sports opportunity project.

- Rebecca Shields' support program for global Irish heritage learners.

- Diane Farsetta's aging research agenda development project.

- Uchita Vaid's intergenerational housing model evaluation protocol project.

- Betty Chewning's referral program involving pharmacists as allies against high fall risks among older adults.

- Travis Blomberg's free food alert initiative aimed at reducing food insecurity.

For more information or questions about the grants or application process:

Email: contact-us@uc.wisc.edu

Phone: 608-262-3571