The Road Map for Research Success at UW–Madison: Shaping the Future
The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) launched a comprehensive strategic planning process in 2025, aimed at ensuring UW–Madison remains at the forefront of research excellence.
The Road Map for Research 2026 will accelerate progress and drive our success.
The next phase is to implement restructuring the OVCR to increase operational excellence and the quality of service, transparency, and efficiency.
The reorganization offers new opportunities for talent development, professional staff support for science, team establishment and evolution, strategic leadership across the University research enterprise, support for large extramural opportunities that will increase UW’s national prominence, cross-campus research support, interdisciplinary opportunities, and strengthening of both internal and external partnerships.
The UW-Madison campus and Lake Mendota are pictured looking eastward in an early morning aerial view. (Photo by Bryce Richter /UW-Madison)
“This effort is designed to define a forward-looking vision that leverages the university’s strengths, aligns with emerging opportunities, and fosters an environment that supports innovation and discovery,” says Dorota Brzezinska, Vice Chancellor for Research. “The discovery process initiated in 2025 was a catalyst for campus‑wide reflection and I hope builds excitement for the road ahead.”
To guide the discovery phase of this transformative process, the OVCR partnered with Urban Impact Advisors (UIA), a nationally recognized firm with deep expertise in higher education strategy and organizational transformation. UIA lead the development of a report that took the pulse of the current research landscape at UW–Madison and within the OVCR, and was informed by extensive input from internal and external stakeholders.
To imagine t
he next phase and map out the OVCR’s service to the University, the OVCR convened a planning group to evaluate and recommend updates to the OVCR organizational structure and operations. The group includes representatives from university and college leadership, OVCR leadership, and faculty governance, ensuring a broad range of perspectives are incorporated into this work.
“The progress of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research’s strategic plan reflects strong leadership and a clear commitment to advancing UW–Madison’s research excellence,” says Erik Iverson, CEO of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). “WARF is proud to partner in this work to help translate discovery into innovation, economic growth, and meaningful impact for Wisconsin and the world.”
“Participating in the OVCR strategic planning process is genuinely exciting. While change can be challenging, we’re operating in an incredibly dynamic environment,” says Kurt McMillen, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration, Director Research and Sponsored Programs. “The federal research landscape is shifting rapidly, and emerging forces like AI and other transformative technologies are reshaping how institutions must respond. This planning effort positions the OVCR, and UW as a whole, to adapt, evolve, and continue leading at the forefront of a rapidly changing research ecosystem.”