CALS is accepting proposals for capacity building equipment that will leverage existing UW-Madison expertise to provide timely products supporting the goals of the Dairy Innovation Hub.

In 2019, the Dairy Innovation Hub launched with a $7.8 million per year investment by the State of Wisconsin to build a world-class talent pool and enable bold discoveries to ensure that Wisconsin’s dairy community is at the global forefront in producing nutritious dairy products in an economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable manner.

This call seeks proposals that will fund research to work on innovative and impactful dairy-related research. Research must relate to one of the following priority areas prioritized by the Hub:

1. Stewarding Land and Water Resources
2. Enriching Human Health and Nutrition
3. Ensuring Animal Health and Welfare
4. Growing Farm Businesses and Communities

The objective of these grants is to increase research capacity in the Dairy Innovation Hub’s four priority areas by providing key pieces of farm or laboratory capital equipment, or a comparable research resource that creates novel capacity for high-impact research.

Funding is available to all CALS faculty and staff with PI status. If funded, equipment MUST be purchased in FY27 (July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027) and matching funds required if cost exceeds $100,000.

Proposals are due by 5:00 p.m. (CST) on Friday, April 3, 2026, via Qualtrics submission. Award decisions will be sent to applicants in June 2026.

Review the full request for proposals and application details. For more information and resources for researchers, check out the research funding section of the DIH website.

Questions? Please contact Elisabeth Berndt, DIH administrative specialist (elisabeth.berndt@wisc.edu).