Investment Institutes
Unconventional approaches to complex problems propel research forward, illuminating solutions that might otherwise be neglected, but in a fiercely competitive funding landscape, mature projects with years of supporting data often have the upper hand.
One solution is to create alternative pathways to nurture fledgling ideas — particularly ones that combine perspectives from different corners of academia and that do not fit neatly into the traditional territories of funding agencies.
Virginia Tech’s investment institutes fuel research and faculty development by investing in high-risk, high-reward projects, providing unique shared research facilities, training faculty, and convening thought leaders in their respective disciplinary focus areas. Operating through the Office for Research and Innovation, the investment institutes help faculty from across campus form transdisciplinary teams, compete for external funding, and influence the profile of the research enterprise.