Center for Dairy Research wins grant

The Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research (CDR) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison received one of seven $1 million i6 Challenge grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce to support an effort to commercialize research ideas that will positively impact economic development.

“We are pleased to receive such a prestigious award,” says CDR director John Lucey. “This grant will allow us to enter a new phase and provide for even greater partnership between CDR and the industry.”

CDR, along with state, industry and university partners, said it will use the federal funds for work to develop new products for fast-growing Asian markets, create new, higher value uses for cheese and dairy by-products such as whey to grow exports, and develop healthier dairy-based alternatives for school lunch menus.

The effort will get matching support from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which will provide $200,000 towards Wisconsin firms that seek to commercialize CDR dairy technologies, and from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, which will provide access to detailed consumer, marketing and product innovation databases and promotional support.