Institutes, Centers, Affiliated Corporations
Virginia Tech's strategic plan affirms the university’s commitment to achieving excellence as a comprehensive global land-grant university that makes innovative contributions in learning, discovery, and engagement.
Virginia Tech research institutes enhance the university's ability to address large-scale research opportunities by crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries. The eight institutes, university centers, and affiliated corporations and initiatives provide faculty, students, and partners access to world-class expertise across many disciplines and to the scientific and technical capability of specially equipped, advanced laboratories.
Investment Institutes
Virginia Tech’s investment institutes are high level organizations that leverage university funds to invest in targeted research areas with a particular emphasis on interdisciplinary programs. Such investments may include support for recruitment, retention and recognition of faculty, seed funds for new research projects, equipment purchases, support and management of core facilities, graduate student recruitment, undergraduate experiential learning opportunities, and research-related outreach activities. Programs and faculty receiving investment institute support are aligned with and in close partnership with associated academic units.
Thematic Institutes
Virginia Tech’s thematic institutes are high level organizations with unique research facilities, faculty, staff and student talent, usually having physical infrastructure that carries out leading-edge interdisciplinary research in a particular area that aligns with the university’s vision and mission. In addition to receiving investments of university funds, thematic institutes also have deep relationships with sponsors and receive substantial extramural research grants and/or contract funding through them.
University Centers
University and institute-level centers provide support, structure, and organization for faculty-led research efforts that cross disciplinary and college boundaries. With funding and administrative support and oversight provided by the senior vice president for research and innovation, college, or institute, there are hundreds of centers to help advance major scholarly objectives involving faculty.
Affiliated Corporations
Virginia Tech’s research enterprise scope and capability is expanded through affiliated corporations.