Global Distinction Seminar Series

Understanding how global rankings work is essential for any institution aspiring to international excellence. The seminar opens with a deep dive into the methodologies behind the Times Higher Education (THE) and U.S. News and World Report rankings, focusing specifically on the methodology and calculations associated with research-related metrics that drive institutional reputation. Participants will learn, with time built in for questions, about benchmarking, what factors influence rankings, what data sources and tools associated with the research metrics, and how units can identify opportunity areas for improvement and tap into consultations and ad-hoc research metric analysis services. 

Research impact isn’t just about publishing—it’s about ensuring your work is discoverable, cited, and influential. The seminar offers actionable strategies for managing researcher profiles, expanding audiences, selecting journals, and leveraging digital tools to maximize visibility. Attendees will explore best practices for marketing scholarship, using open access repositories, and collaborating across disciplines—all methods, based on peer-reviewed research, for increasing citations and scholarly influence. 

Securing extramural funding is a cornerstone of research excellence and a key metric in global rankings. The seminar on federal and foundation funding equips participants with efficient techniques for finding, tracking, and analyzing current funding opportunities, learning how to review retrospective awards, and researchers can position themselves for greater funding success—directly supporting Virginia Tech’s goals for research growth and financial sustainability. 

How do you show the value and influence of your creative, humanities, or social sciences work? This seminar explores effective, meaningful ways to demonstrate engagement, impact, and reach—whether your work takes the form of performances, exhibitions, community partnerships, public humanities projects, books, or digital scholarship. Participants will leave with concrete strategies and examples they can apply to CVs, dossiers, grant proposals, and reports. Even if you are not a part of the arts, humanities, and social sciences, this session sheds light on research culture differences across fields.

Being the named inventor on a patent not only highlights your expertise as a researcher but also adds impact to your research via commercialization. For those with inventions or innovative ideas, this seminar will cover patents and the invention disclosure process. Attendees will learn how to navigate the patent landscape, understand Virginia Tech’s commercialization pathways, and amplify their research impact through intellectual property—further strengthening the university’s reputation for innovation.