Professional Services
Natural Resource Institute Professional Services
The Natural Resources Institute has has in-house Evaluation, Instructional Design, and Marketing and Communication service units to help Extension educators, researchers, agencies, and community partners be more effective in their work. Whether you’re launching a new conservation program, creating courses, evaluating an existing initiative, or seeking to improve public engagement, our fee-for-service units bring expertise and collaborative spirit to help you succeed.
Professional Services

Evaluation Unit
We create opportunities for teams to clearly articulate and improve their programs and better understand their outcomes.

Instructional Design Unit
We transform knowledge into learning content — helping programs improve engagement.

Marketing and Communications Unit
We help you showcase your work using innovative strategies that resonate with target audiences and stakeholders.
Research Services
The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) provides researchers access to their Mount Horeb Research Collections and Educational Center that houses an extensive core repository for a service fee. The Research Collections and Education Center is 20,000 square feet housing a variety of carefully organized and maintained earth-science materials. These collections are essential to improving our scientific understanding of the geology and natural resources of the state of Wisconsin.
WGNHS also conducts pXRF analysis of drill core, hand samples, and well cuttings for a fee.
How We Work
Our fee-for-service units are unique within Extension. Curious how we work? Here are some common questions and answers to help you determine how we can best help you.
I am applying for a grant. How can you help?
Extramural grants often require evaluation, broader impacts, or communication of project findings. NRI professional service units can be written into grants as partners or coinvestigators to help set your application apart.
What are your service rates?
All units have a separate service rate and bill by the hour. We offer an internal hourly rate for collaborations with other University of Wisconsin units, alongside competitive rates for external clients.
I don’t have a budget. Can you still help?
It depends! Reach out to our units for a consultation as we may be able to partner to submit a funding application to support collaborative work, or, depending on the scope of the project, there may be other funds available to support our work.
I have an idea for a project. How can I work with you?
We are excited to hear your idea and brainstorm how we can help your turn it into reality. Get in touch with us as we can be collaborators in discussing project ideas, funding options, and implementation.



