For those thankful for the economic and cultural importance of the Great Lakes that hug Wisconsin’s north and east, glad tidings. More care and attention for the big lakes is on the way due to the recent release of a request for preproposals from Wisconsin Sea Grant.
Every two years, the statewide program asks researchers at public and private universities to come up with ways to measure the health of, increase the economic payoffs from and assess the human interactions with Lakes Superior and Michigan. The result is nearly $2 million in science funding for a two-year cycle devoted to studies that lead to action.
In recent years:
- A Madison-based researcher developed a model being adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to measure levels of toxic metals in the water. That knowledge can then better pinpoint ways to clean up the water.
- A Milwaukee-based researcher was awarded a U.S. patent on a method that prompts tasty yellow perch to spawn out of season, ensuring a year-round supply of the Friday-night-fish-fry favorite.
- An Oshkosh-based researcher assessed the presence of E.coli on beaches and found the best ways to address it to prevent risks to human health.
Researchers can apply for this latest round of funding that will be disbursed beginning on Feb. 1, 2014. The application deadline is Dec. 14. All Sea Grant project funds are awarded via a highly competitive process involving peer reviews and the recommendations of external advisory panels.
In its more than 43-year history, the program has awarded more than $120 million in grants that have supported more than 750 research, outreach and education projects throughout Wisconsin.
