Virginia Tech® home

Research and Innovation Home Page

Insert your title here

RESEARCH SUPPORT

UPCOMING OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION EVENTS

GRANTS AND AWARDS HIGHLIGHT

Impact of Cryptococcus Titan Cells on Pathogenesis

Principal Investigator:
Kirsten Nielsen
Professor
Veterinary Medical Research and Graduate Studies
College of Veterinary Medicine

Total Anticipated:
$3,510,922

Sponsor:
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Kirsten Nielsen portrait.

Enhancing Outdoor Informal STEM Learning for Early Adolescent Youth Through Collective Evaluation, Capacity Building, Adaptive Management, and Comparative Research

Principal Investigator:
Marc J. Stern
Professor
Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
College of Natural Resources and Environment

Total Anticipated:
$1,983,088

Sponsor:
National Science Foundation

Marc J. Stern portrait.

SOLVING CHALLENGES EMERGING IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD

The university has invested in major research initiatives, bringing together diverse expertise that transcends traditional discipline boundaries. In partnership with industry, government, and foundations, these focus areas address emerging challenges and opportunities that seek to improve the human condition and create a better world for all. 

These strategically focused areas are Virginia Tech Research Frontiers.

Kaveh Akbari Hamed Lab Robots.

The Artificial Intelligence Frontier

Harnessing artificial intelligence for intelligence augmentation

Building on expertise in artificial intelligence and data science, systems engineering, neuroscience, human factors, robotics, immersive visualization, and education, among others, to accelerate human-technology partnerships toward seamless augmentation, ethically and sustainably.

A researcher in a lab working with plants.

The Health Frontier

Leading one health to achieve whole health

Changing the focus on disease and symptoms to one of whole health, integrating intersections of animal, environment, and human health and building in communities and systems to empower multifaceted well-being.

A man flying a drone in a field.

The Security Frontier

Innovating for secure and resilient communities

Ensuring communities are prepared to face global threats, from climate change to cybersecurity to national defense through advances in preparation, defense, mitigation, and recovery.

A group of researchers having discussion at a whiteboard.

The Quantum Frontier

Advancing the quantum leap

Using an unparalleled transdisciplinary focus to accelerate the integration of quantum technologies across society, realizing unprecedented computing and communication capabilities and restructuring our social framework.

MEASURES OF EXCELLENCE

$419M in sponsored research expenditures in FY23.
Ranked Top 6% in Nation for Research Expenditures
142 new invention disclosures

FOCUS ON RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

Subscribe: FOCUS ON RESEARCH

Graphic showcasing researchers.

Virginia Tech’s FOCUS ON RESEARCH newsletter explores how student and faculty researchers are addressing emerging challenges that seek to improve the human condition and create a better world for all. 

Latest Issue

Learn how Virginia Tech researchers are working to prevent future pandemics, exploring the impacts of AI on children’s health care, paving the way for the next generation of wireless technology, and Hokies helping communities impacted from Hurricane Helene.

VIRGINIA TECH RESEARCH EXPERTS IN THE MEDIA

Space Daily - The shifting history of North America's ancient ice sheet - Yet, while picturing this immense ice mass is fascinating, the present-day implications of its retreat - particularly concerning land shifts and sea-level changes - are of pressing interest. Ph.D. candidate Karen Williams, from the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, has taken on this challenge. Using advanced computer models, Williams is investigating how Earth's landscape transformed as the ice receded and how these changes may inform current issues like sea-level rise and sinking land.

Interesting Engineering (also MSN and Popular Mechanics) - Billion-year-old rocks could be hiding dark matter, scientists surprise - “The team has already started generating 3D renderings of high-energy particle tracks in synthetic lithium fluoride. This artificial crystal won’t make a good dark-matter detector, but it will help establish the full range of signals while keeping the crystal intact,” Patrick Huber, a physicist at Virginia Tech, said.

IFL Science - After Snowball Earth Came Short-lived Slushball Earth, Lithium Isotopes Prove - Dr Tian Gan, then at Virginia Tech, was part of a team that explored what happened afterward using the ratio of lithium-6 to lithium-7 in carbonate rocks laid down as the ice melted. Their work supports a model of the process known as plumeworld.