UW-Oshkosh in line for grants up to $1.4M supporting freshwater training, research and hands-on student experiences

As part of the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin Summer Freshwater High School Experience, students (above) tackle real-world groundwater flow challenges using a large-scale landscape model in the Geology Hydrology Simulation Lab at UW-Oshkosh. Instructor Eric Hiatt, who has since retired, is standing at left.

Thanks to a major grant from the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin (FCW), the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will expand its reach as a statewide leader in freshwater research, workforce development and community outreach.

If funding is consistently approved by state leaders over the next several years, annual grants would generate $1.44 million total through 2031 to fund UWO's "Comprehensive Freshwater Training, Recruitment, and Research Experience Program," offering a host of hands-on experiences for students while directly addressing Wisconsin's most pressing water challenges. The first UWO award is for $243,000 in this current fiscal year.

The grant affirms UW-Oshkosh's place as a vital contributor to the state's water future, both in scientific innovation and in preparing the next generation of water science professionals.

"This investment in UW-Oshkosh affirms our role as a statewide leader in preparing the next generation of water scientists and innovators," Chancellor Manohar Singh said. "The Freshwater Collaborative's support ensures that our students-whether they are high school participants just discovering their passion or undergraduates conducting applied research in our communities-gain experiences that prepare them for careers of impact. This is not only a win for our students and our university, but also for Wisconsin, where the health of our waters is essential to public well-being, economic vitality, and the stewardship of one of our state's greatest natural resources."

Greg Kleinheinz, director of UWO's Environmental Research and Innovation Center (ERIC) and professor of environmental engineering technology, is proud of the work the students and faculty have done.

"This grant is really a testament to the success we've had over the last few years," Kleinheinz said. "We've built programs that are multidisciplinary, hands-on and impactful, and now we have the stability to keep growing them without wondering year to year if we'll be able to continue."

UWO's ERIC lab has long been a hub for certified water testing, collaborative research and student-led fieldwork, with lab locations and field sites in Oshkosh, Eagle River, Sturgeon Bay and Manitowoc. With a staff that works year-round and professional infrastructure already in place, the center is uniquely positioned to host and manage complex, community-facing water projects.

A 2024 report from WFRV-TV in Green Bay highlighting the program

The FCW grant allows the university to deepen that work while expanding access to students from across the state. Among the core components funded by the grant: a high school freshwater STEM camp, paid summer internships, industry-partnered Water Technology Enterprise projects, collaborative research across UW campuses and expanded recruitment materials to connect more students to water-related majors.

"Our students aren't just learning in the classroom-they're engaging in experiential learning that best prepares them for meaningful careers in water science and environmental fields as they solve problems that threaten public health, the state's tourism industry and agriculture," said Ed Martini, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. "This grant strengthens the kind of research-intensive education that defines the UW-Oshkosh experience."

One of the most visible elements is the summer high school program.

"(Students) get to come here for three days, be on campus, and dive into all sorts of hands-on experiences related to freshwater," Kleinheinz said. "This year we had students from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin."

He added that the program only costs families about $25 per student, thanks to support from the collaborative.

"That's something we're really proud of, making these opportunities accessible and getting young people excited about water science," Kleinheinz said.

Beyond recruitment, the FCW grant supports deep, applied training for undergraduates. Each summer, ERIC hosts students from across the Universities of Wisconsin system, offering them paid positions. Students receive training in everything from sample collection and analysis to using Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and they leave with tangible experience for graduate programs or careers.

"The students are on the front line," Kleinheinz said. "They're doing hands-on, applied learning through community involvement. One day might be the usual routine, and the next, something new pops up-a water quality concern, a drainage issue, a new research request-and they have to adapt. That's real-world training."

The reach of UWO's water programs goes far beyond Oshkosh. In Vilas County, students work with over a dozen lake organizations on aquatic invasive species. In Door County, they assist with septic tracer studies, beach monitoring and marine debris surveys. In Fond du Lac, ERIC partners with a company tackling wastewater treatment challenges.

"Just the other day, the Sanitarian Department in Door County said, 'We think we have a failing septic system.' They don't have a lab, so they brought the samples to our lab in Sturgeon Bay. Our students did all the analysis," Kleinheinz said. "Boom! They had their results. That's the kind of infrastructure we've built and it lets us be responsive."

That responsiveness, Kleinheinz noted, is central to the lab's mission. "We never know exactly what's going to come up. But we're there, and we're ready."

While most of the programming continues successful models launched four years ago, one new element is in development: an upper-level freshwater course designed to follow UWO's popular BIO/EGR 119 field course.

The impact of these programs is felt statewide. Whether helping a county map the depth of a lake, working with small businesses to improve water treatment, or responding to urgent community needs, UWO's students and faculty are building a culture of service-driven science.

"When they leave here, students have a strong portfolio of applied work that includes field experience, lab training, presentations, maybe even publications," Kleinheinz said. "They're ready."

The long-term funding, he added, goes beyond supporting student learning.

"It helps us engage with potential students, with the community, not just in Oshkosh, but across Wisconsin," he said. "We're practicing the Wisconsin Idea by connecting students and faculty with businesses, county governments and local organizations to help solve real problems."

He said the grant also enables new ways to showcase water-related majors on campus that might otherwise seem disconnected.

"We can now better package things like environmental studies, biology, chemistry, engineering-programs that all touch water in different ways. This funding gives students the chance to explore those connections and find water-centric careers through different lenses."

For Kleinheinz, the urgency and relevance of this work is clear.

"We sit here on the Lake Winnebago system, in a state with 15,000 lakes and access to 20 percent of the world's freshwater," he said. "There's a lot to do, and we're proud to be part of it."

Learn more:

UW-Oshkosh Environmental Research Innovation Center(ERIC)

UW-Oshkosh freshwater experience gives college, career view for high school students

Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin