The two major research universities in the state of Wisconsin recommitted Monday to keep research channels between the two schools open.

University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee interim chancellor Michael Lovell are renewing the Intercampus Research Incentive Grants Program to fund joint research programs, UW-Madison Provost Paul DeLuca said.

The program began with a call for proposals in January 2010, and grant recipients were notified on June 9. Eight teams of faculty and graduate students from UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee were awarded a total of $398,000 to fund their projects.

Each research team received almost $50,000 to support projects ranging from the development of gold nanoparticles for use in cell-based therapies to researching the therapeutic use of enzymes as a possible treatment for infection.

“The grants are a relatively small award for a research team, but the hope is that by feeding these projects with a little bit of money, potential donors will see progress and want to invest their own money in the studies,” President of UW-Milwaukee’s Research Foundation Brian Thompson said.

Deluca said the joint research is vital because each school can specialize in the aspects of the research project better suited for its staff and equipment.

“Currently, Milwaukee has a huge water quality problem, and luckily Madison has some of the best researchers and tools for lake water study available,” DeLuca said. “So far all of the approved projects have involved overlapping interests at both universities.”

Last year, a committee of UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee faculty and administrators selected the recipients of the Intercampus Research Incentive grants.

The committee received many more proposals than it expected and had the ability to sort through a number of excellent research options, DeLuca added.

This year, research staff at both universities will be added to the committee to review grant proposals, and officials expect to fund another eight projects. UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee private donors provided funding for the research initiatives.

DeLuca said the chancellors at UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee will make the final selections based on the committee’s recommendations.

The deadline for 2011 applications is April 4, and grant recipients will be notified in May for projects slated to begin July 1, Thompson said.