Marie Christine Kohler Fellows @ WID are graduate students selected on the strength of their commitment and abilities to contribute to interdisciplinary thought. Kohler Fellows work and collaborate within WID, connecting graduate students across campus through a range of stimulating projects and events.
This program is proudly supported by the Kohler Foundation Inc., who has long supported arts, education, and community engagement in Wisconsin. Support also comes from the UW–Madison Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the Wisconsin Institute For Discovery (WID). The fellowship program is housed and administered in WID’s Illuminating Discovery Hub (ID Hub).
Program Objectives
The Kohler Fellows program bridges science and art by selecting graduate students based on their creative abilities and commitment to interdisciplinary thought.
The program objectives are to:
- Foster a unique and engaging multidisciplinary community
- Create new Art+Science Fusion content (e.g., artwork, workshops, seminars, etc.)
- Expand fellows’ professional portfolios and networks
- Lead discussions that explore the philosophy, training, and experience between disciplines
- Promote principles within projects and relationships that support diversity and inclusion
Privileges and Responsibilities
Marie Christine Kohler Fellows @ WID are expected to spend time at the institute and to develop and maintain mechanisms for ensuring meaningful intellectual discussions with one another (e.g., through scheduled, weekly meetings) and with other students, fellows and faculty in WID. A major responsibility of fellows is to create and present a public science-art fusion project (e.g., seminars, exhibitions, performances, presentations) for the campus community. A textual, pictorial, or cinematic summary of each activity will be put on WID’s website to make the fruits of these efforts available to the larger campus community.
Fellows receive an annual stipend of $3,000 and a team project budget of $3,000. Fellows have access to the Discovery Building and WID resources and events, such as the annual WID Symposium, picnics, and Discovery Seminars. Marie Christine Kohler Fellows are appointed for one year.
Marie Christine Kohler Fellows @ WID that are selected will be appointed for a one-year program beginning in January and ending in December.
The Latest
2026 Kohler Fellows: Advancing Discovery Through Creative Collaboration
The Wisconsin Institute for Discovery introduces the newest Kohler Fellows, a prestigious program uniting science and art through interdisciplinary collaboration. Paired artist–scientist teams transform research into creative work that bridges disciplines, reveals new perspectives, and sparks transformative thinking.