On Jun. 22, 1925, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents officially established the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) to protect UW–Madison biochemist Harry Steenbock’s major vitamin D discovery, a breakthrough that led to the eradication of rickets worldwide.

WARF was initially funded with donations of $100 from nine University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni. WARF was the first such intellectual property organization for a university in the nation.

Today, WARF manages the intellectual property of research discoveries at UW–Madison. Royalties generated from licenses to industry and from investments go toward supporting basic research at UW–Madison. Since its inception, WARF has granted more than $450 million to the university.