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Funded Projects

COVID-19 and the Nasal Microbiome: Potential Marker of Disease Outcomes and Novel Antivirals

Awarded in 2020
COVID-19 Response Grant
Updated Sep 11, 2023

At a Glance

The COVID-19 Response grants awarded by the Faculty Grant support UW–Madison researchers across campus in scientific, medical and public health approaches to lessening the impact of COVID-19 through improved testing, treatments and vaccine development, as well as projects that aim to protect the public and healthcare workforce from the virus.

Project Goals

To study the nasal microbiome to determine potential compositions that are associated with COVID-19 outcomes for predictive biomarkers of disease severity and to discover novel naturally occurring novel antiviral compound

Read the grant announcement

More Funded Projects

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Community Catalyst Grant

Equitable Access: Technology-Assisted Professional Development for Spanish-Speaking Early Educators Promoting Social-Emotional Development in Children 0-5

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2018
According to neuroscience, the first three years of life are a critical window of opportunity and time of increased vulnerability. Supporting a child’s social and emotional development while also being nurtured within culturally responsive relationships in which they can form secure attachments lays a solid foundation for lifelong health and well-being. The goal of this project was to create equitable access for Spanish-speaking early childhood educators to professional development opportunities related to social emotional development and infant mental health. Tools, resources and training were translated into Spanish and reflected the cultural awareness of the needs of Latin/x early educators. The grantees were able to make significant progress in strengthening equitable pathways to professional development and the IMH-E® (Infant Mental Health Endorsement) credential in Spanish. As a result of this project, Latin/x educators well-trained in this area were able to foster positive health outcomes for infants and children in their care.
education icon: school with flag
COVID-19 Response Grant

Teaching the General Public How To Test and Maintain Readily Available Face Masks

Outcome Report
Awarded in 2020
When the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) began encouraging everyone to wear masks to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, many people were unprepared. Some individuals didn’t know how to properly wear a mask while others weren’t able to obtain one. However, evidence continued to mount that proper use of masks was critical to managing COVID-19. Through instructional videos, this project focused on teaching Wisconsinites how to evaluate and properly use the masks that are readily available to them to help protect people from COVID-19. The grant team was successful in developing a mask solution that, if widely adopted, would help lessen the impact of COVID-19. They found that mask fit was crucial for filtering aerosol, which are smaller respiratory droplets, both for inhalation and exhalation. The team created three informational videos focused on the importance of mask fit, how to improve mask fit, and how to choose the right mask. The videos were showcased by several news outlets alongside interviews with the principal investigator; the video Can Your Mask Stop a Cough? – Mask Study using a Laser has over 30,000 views on YouTube as of June 2021.