The University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation today announced the finalists for the UW2020: WARF Discovery Initiative, selecting 14 among 119 proposals.

“The goal of UW2020 is to support projects that could ultimately transform a field, solve a long-standing problem, contribute to social policy or launch a key new technology,” UW-Madison Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education Marsha Mailick said in a statement. “We think we’re off to a fantastic start with these second-round projects, and those that were funded in the first round.”

Proposals include “Physically Responsive Collaborative Robot Manipulation” and “Reconstruction of Neural Circuits in Parkinson’s Disease.”

WARF also announced that applications for the “Force for Positive Change” competition are now being accepted through Sept. 15.

According to a release, the competition, which will give $25,000 to four Wisconsin-based organizations making a difference in the state, aims to celebrate businesses integrating a social or environmental mission into their operations.

Companies must be an incorporated enterprise with a revenue-generating product or service; address a significant social and/or environmental challenge that exists in Wisconsin through their products, services or operations; and have a staffed base of operations in Wisconsin.