(Credit): UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin and Brigadier General Dean Thompson, 353rd Civil Affairs Command, shake hands after signing the MOU between UW–Madison and the U.S. Department of Defense on Dec. 14, 2022. JASON GOHLKE[/caption] Representatives from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) and the United States Department of Defense (DOD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday, launching a two-year pilot program to collaborate on environmental-related training, consultation, and resources for the United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).
“UW–Madison’s leadership in environmental studies positions us as an ideal partner for the U.S. Department of Defense,” says UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “Our interdisciplinary environmental research and education, combined with our experience partnering with governments, businesses, and communities will assist in addressing the complex environmental problems faced by Civil Affairs personnel.”
The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will serve as the campus coordinator for this collaboration. Established in 1970 and renamed in 2002 for U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (WI), the Nelson Institute's expertise ranges from physical and social sciences to engineering, medicine, and the arts and humanities.
UW-Madison will function as a comprehensive resource for environmental science, monitoring, management, conservation, and restoration thanks to the hundreds of environmental professionals spread among its schools and colleges.
“Environmental factors often lead to conflict, and conflict often leads to environmental degradation. Our Civil Affairs teams frequently deal with these issues,” says Brigadier General Dean Thompson of the U.S. Army’s 353rd Civil Affairs Command. “The United States Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) is grateful that the UW–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is willing to partner with us to address these critical issues.”
The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Department of Defense have a collaborative and ongoing relationship. Civil Affairs personnel received training on campus as early as World War II. In 2020-21, the DOD awarded $54.8 million to UW-Madison researchers, accounting for 7% of the university's total annual federal research funding of $745 million.
Through the University of Wisconsin Missing in Action Recovery and Identification Project, UW-Madison was the first academic institution to collaborate with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) (UW MIA RIP). The university is a participant in a consortium that enables researchers to submit proposals for a finite amount of DOD medical research funding. Additionally, Project Global Officer (Project GO), a DOD-supported summer language program for ROTC students, is funded by 22 universities around the US, including UW-Madison.
