The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com. 

MADISON, Wis. – Americans hold varying opinions about the war in the Middle East, from support for ending 47 years of nettlesome threats by Iran’s theocracy to opposing U.S. intervention for reasons that include unclear mission goals.

Either way, it’s important to know much national defense research has little to do with building better missiles or bombs. It’s often about prevention, detection, reaction and recovery in times of emergency at home. That affects civilians as well as military personnel.

Wisconsin has research expertise in areas such as nuclear medicine, vaccines, food and water contamination, fusion, brain and eye trauma, radiation detection and more. Such strengths, bolstered by the state’s manufacturing know-how, will be discussed April 15 during a State Affairs-WisPolitics luncheon at the UW-Milwaukee School of Continuing Education. Online registration is open.

Other public universities in Wisconsin, such as UW-Stout, also conduct research to meet defense and civilian needs. The single largest source is UW-Madison. It is the nation’s fifth-largest academic research institution at nearly $2 billion per year in all categories, based on National Science Foundation figures released in December 2025.

The state doesn’t have major military bases, so it ranks in the bottom third of the 50 states in attracting all types of defense spending. Boosting that standing through research contracts is a goal for Vice Chancellor of Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska and the Wisconsin Security Research Consortium.

“We (Wisconsin) may be overlooked in some quarters,” Grejner-Brzezinska said in a recent interview. “We are leaving money on the table.”

The Security Research Consortium was stood up by partners that included UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Technology Council and University Research Park. Its mission is to attract and retain research and development grants from federal agencies to conduct “sensitive” academic and business R&D in the national interest.

Leveraging about 40 focus areas compatible with UW-Madison strengths, it helps to connect federal agencies, academic researchers and private companies. Attracting private firms to Wisconsin is also a goal.

Long-range studies that can solve cyber-security, food supply, energy and medical problems in defense can also be “dual-use” research with civilian applications.

“Technology security is national security. Food security is national security. Energy security is national security. Water security is national security,” Grejner-Brzezinska said. “There’s also a workforce piece in all of these domains, for Wisconsin and beyond.”

Students at UW-Madison and elsewhere can enhance their job-readiness by working on research and general education projects that make them more attractive to potential employers, both private and public.

For example, the College of Engineering at UW-Madison is home to the “PANTHER” project. It’s an acronym that stands for “Physics-bAsed Neutralization of Threats to Human TissuEs and oRgans.”

That’s an acronym only a physics major can love, but the program does vital work to detect, predict and heal brain injuries. Some defense-related research tied to PANTHER has led to better bicycle helmets, to cite one civilian use.

In late March, 120 students gathered for the fifth annual “Cyber Badger 2026,” which is a UW-Madison cyber-tabletop exercise. It featured a scenario straight from current headlines: An artificial intelligence ransomware attack targeting critical infrastructure. Dave Schroeder, the campus director of national security initiatives and part of the WSRC team, worked to bring in expert facilitators.

Also working with the WSRC, a delegation from U.S. Cyber Command visited UW-Madison to tour labs and meet researchers studying areas such as quantum computing and cryptography. It led to UW-Madison experts briefing officials in Washington, D.C.

Other topics involving UW-Madison students range from nuclear fusion research to fighting toxins that can damage crops and disrupt food supplies.

Grejner-Brzezinska said she believes it’s a “no-brainer” for federal agencies to tap into the full range of UW-Madison research that apply to defense and civilian challenges. That starts with spreading the word through WSRC.

“If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re on the menu,” she said.

It’s a table Wisconsin can help to set with the right research dishes and utensils.

Still is the past president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. He is an adviser to Competitive Wisconsin Inc., a non-profit policy group.