The President's and Chancellor's Challenge

A Crosstown Collaboration to Address Poverty

Marquette University, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Medical College of Wisconsin

mulogomilwaukee     mcw

About

The President’s and Chancellor’s Challenge is a community engaged research initiative that brings together innovative thinkers to address local, Milwaukee challenges and make an impact. This is a partnership between three higher education institutions: Marquette University, Medical College of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.    

This program joins university resources with community expertise to examine critical issues and opportunities facing the city of Milwaukee. Funding supports both faculty and community partners to work in collaboration for a period of 18-months. Project submissions should address poverty in Milwaukee.

APPLY TODAY!

Project Selection

We anticipate funding two projects in each of the following stages (4 projects total)

  • Partner & Prototype: This award is for emerging collaborative ideas and newer partnerships with potential for larger local impact.  The goal is to deepen mutual understanding of the identified problem and pilot an intervention with a community partner(s) organization. These projects will be funded for up to $25,000.  
  • Advancing Impact: This award is for faculty and community organizations that have a history of partnering.  Funding is designed to support the testing and evaluation of solutions in collaboration with external partners.  Demonstrated previous research collaboration is required. These projects will be funded at approximately $90,000.

Final projects will be selected based on input from community leaders and staff from partner institutions, with the final decision team consisting of top leaders from each funding organization. 

  • Criteria for Funding Project
  • Challenge Timeline
  • Resources Available
  • Description of intended outcomes; methods to evaluate project impact, including clearly, articulated metrics; and ability to sustain outcomes
  • Engagement with a community organization
  • Ability to complete meaningful work in the 18-month timeframe
  • Experience and composition of the team
  • Level of student involvement
  • Co-PIs from at least two (2) different partnering institutions (Marquette, MCW, UW-Milwaukee)
  • Clear articulation of the research connection to addressing poverty

April 1 – Project materials available (application and budget)

April 2 – Faculty and community networking session at Concordia 27

May 23 – Proposals due

July 1 – Expected start date for funded projects

January 2027 – projects conclude, final reports due

  • Office hours (sign up will be available for teams)
  • Budget workshop

History

Developed in 2018 in partnership with JCI, the President's Challenge, as it was then called, began awarding Marquette faculty, staff, students and community partners with funding to develop and implement their ideas to change the trajectory of lives in our community.The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee joined the partnership in 2022, inspiring its renamed as The President's and Chancellor’s Challenge. The Medical College of Wisconsin is joining the collaboration for the upcoming cycle (2025). This cross-town partnership expands the work of faculty and community members throughout the Milwaukee area.


Please email questions to innovation@marquette.edu.