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The Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) is a grant-making program run from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH). It has two audiences with very different rules: UW faculty and trainees on one side, and Wisconsin community organizations on the other. This guide puts the eight grant mechanisms, their award sizes, who can apply and what grantees must do after an award into one place. Everything below is as described on the official WPP pages (wpp.med.wisc.edu) on 2026-10-29; programs change, so the official pages govern.
What it is and who runs it
WPP is administered at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and, in the program’s own words, “administers competitive grant programs for both UW faculty and community organizations.” Since 2004 it reports having awarded more than 690 grants and $322 million across medical research, health education and workforce development, and community partnerships. Its work is organized around three pillars: community partnerships, education and research.
The key structural point for applicants is that the two sides are managed separately. Faculty grants are about research and education at SMPH. Community grants are about partnerships that address health equity in Wisconsin. The official resources-and-policies page notes that the Oversight and Advisory Committee (OAC) is responsible for directing and approving funds for public health initiatives, meaning the community grants.
What it funds: the eight grant mechanisms
The official Grants Overview page lists the following. Amounts and durations are the figures stated there; they apply to the 2026 cycle as listed and can change.
| Mechanism | Side | Amount | Duration | Purpose as described |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collaborative Health Sciences | Faculty | $600,000 | 3 years | Interdisciplinary teams led by established investigators on complex Wisconsin health challenges |
| New Investigator | Faculty | $150,000 | 2 years | Early-career SMPH faculty starting innovative pilot projects with potential to leverage larger federal or other funding |
| Postdoctoral | Faculty side (trainees) | $20,000 | Up to 1 year | Professional development of postdoctoral trainees, postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows and research associates |
| Opportunity Grants | Faculty | $200,000 | 1 or 2 years | Start-up funding for time-critical, high-impact education and research projects |
| Strategic | Faculty | Variable | Typically 3 years | Education and research infrastructure aligned with SMPH strategic directions; applications by invitation only |
| Level 1 Community Impact | Community | $250,000 | Up to 3 years | Community partnerships aiming at sustainable systems change for health, health equity and well-being |
| Level 2 Community Impact | Community | $500,000 | Up to 3 years | Same purpose as Level 1 |
| Community Capacity | Community | $20,000 | Up to 1 year | Capacity building for Wisconsin-based organizations addressing health equity or the social determinants of health |
These are discretionary grants: awards are competitive and the program, not a formula, decides who receives funding.
Eligibility (summary, with the official source)
Eligibility is set per mechanism on the official Faculty Grants and Community Grants pages. The summary below reflects what those pages state on 2026-10-29.
Faculty-side mechanisms
- Collaborative Health Sciences: one principal investigator plus one or two co-principal investigators, drawn from two or more disciplines. The PI must hold at least a 50 percent SMPH appointment. In 2026 the program stated it would fund up to five projects.
- New Investigator: SMPH assistant professors with at least a 50 percent appointment whose start date falls on or after March 1, 2021.
- Postdoctoral: a research appointment with 75 percent or higher protected time, a PI mentor with at least a 50 percent SMPH appointment, a signed nomination letter, and an appointment lasting at least 12 months from the start date. Clinical fellows need co-signature from a chair or division head. An honorary associate or fellow title is not eligible.
- Opportunity Grants: applicants may submit a request to apply at any time. The request must explain why rapid funding is needed, give measurable benchmarks and a path to external funding, and say why New Investigator or Collaborative Health Sciences funding is not feasible. The project must meet two or more stated criteria, for example “potential to transform a field of study.”
- Strategic: by invitation only.
Community-side mechanisms
- Community Capacity: Wisconsin-based organizations working toward health equity or the social determinants of health, with annual expenses under $500,000 or nonprofit status gained after January 1, 2021.
- Community Impact (Levels 1 and 2): the page says these grants “require substantial and authentic community leadership”: the people most affected by an issue should inform and carry out the work, which should address health inequities and their root causes. Evaluation support is part of the program.
One rule cuts across the community side: according to the resources-and-policies page, some funding mechanisms, such as large-scale community grants of $500,000 or more, require an academic partner.
Application and compliance steps
Faculty-side process
For Collaborative Health Sciences the official page describes a staged review: a preliminary application, an invitation to submit a full application, finalist interviews, then award decisions. New Investigator applications also begin with a preliminary application stage. Opportunity Grants differ: the first step is a request to apply, which can be sent at any time rather than waiting for a deadline.
Community-side process
Community Capacity and Community Impact grants are offered through requests for partnerships (RFPs) announced for each cycle. The community grants page marks the 2026 Capacity and Level 1 and Level 2 RFPs as closed, so check the Community Grants page for the next announced cycle. The resources-and-policies page states that a technical review verifies eligibility and compliance with proposal requirements.
After an award
- Grantees agree to a memorandum of understanding that outlines requirements such as progress reports, financial reports and a final report.
- Funds may not supplant funds or resources otherwise available.
- Grantees are asked to evaluate their work, and evaluation staff provide support.
- The official page lists separate policies for cost principles, allowable and unallowable grant expenses, and academic partner eligibility. Read these before building a budget.
Typical timeline phases
The pages do not give one calendar for the whole program; each mechanism has its own announcement. Across mechanisms the phases follow the same order, without dates being fixed:
- Announcement of the funding opportunity or, for Opportunity Grants, an open request-to-apply window.
- Eligibility check and, for staged programs, a preliminary application.
- Invitation to a full application, then review. Collaborative Health Sciences adds finalist interviews.
- Award decision and a memorandum of understanding setting out reporting.
- Project period (for example up to three years for Community Impact, two years for New Investigator), with progress and financial reports and a final report.
Common mistakes
- Applying to the wrong side. Faculty mechanisms require an SMPH appointment; community mechanisms require a Wisconsin-based organization. Check the mechanism’s own eligibility box first.
- Missing the academic partner on a $500,000 or larger community grant. The policies page states some large community grants require one.
- Treating a postdoctoral title as sufficient. The page requires a qualifying research appointment and mentor; an honorary associate or fellow title is ineligible.
- Using an Opportunity Grant as a shortcut. The request must explain why New Investigator or Collaborative Health Sciences funding is not feasible.
- Budgeting existing costs. Funds cannot supplant resources already available.
Related programs
The table below compares the two tracks as the official pages describe them. Note that the New Investigator program frames its projects as pilot projects that can leverage more substantial funding from federal or other granting agencies.
| Feature | Faculty grants | Community grants |
|---|---|---|
| Who applies | SMPH faculty, postdoctoral trainees and fellows | Wisconsin-based community organizations |
| Largest listed award | $600,000 (Collaborative Health Sciences) | $500,000 (Level 2 Community Impact) |
| Smallest listed award | $20,000 (Postdoctoral) | $20,000 (Community Capacity) |
| Process stages named | Preliminary application, full application by invitation, finalist interviews (Collaborative Health Sciences) | Request for partnerships (RFP), then technical review of eligibility and compliance |
| Special requirement | PI with at least a 50 percent SMPH appointment on several mechanisms | Academic partner for large grants; substantial community leadership |
FAQ
What is the Wisconsin Partnership Program?
It is the grant program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health that funds research, education and community partnerships aimed at improving health in Wisconsin.
Who can apply for a Wisconsin Partnership Program grant?
It depends on the mechanism. Faculty grants go to SMPH faculty and trainees; community grants go to Wisconsin-based organizations. See the eligibility section above.
How much funding is available?
Listed awards range from $20,000 (Postdoctoral and Community Capacity) to $600,000 (Collaborative Health Sciences). Strategic grants are variable.
Is there a rolling deadline?
Only for Opportunity Grants, where applicants may submit a request to apply at any time. Other mechanisms are announced by cycle.
Sources
- Wisconsin Partnership Program home page, https://wpp.med.wisc.edu/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- Grants Overview, https://wpp.med.wisc.edu/grant-funding/grants-overview/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- Community Grants, https://wpp.med.wisc.edu/grant-funding/community-grants/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- Faculty Grants, https://wpp.med.wisc.edu/grant-funding/faculty-grants/ (checked 2026-10-29)
- Resources and Policies, https://wpp.med.wisc.edu/grant-funding/resources-policies/ (checked 2026-10-29)
