Collaborative Research Grant
How to Apply
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We are accepting Summer 2026 submission proposals until April 16th. Go to the Call for Proposals Page for details and the Awards Page to view projects funded in the last round.
Grant Collaborator Profiles
We provide a list of profiles to facilitate connections between potential project collaborators. Please browse the current profiles and feel free to submit your own profile. Please note the collaborator profile form and list are restricted to logged-in VT affiliates.
VT Affiliate Directories
The University Libraries Employee Directory and Virginia Tech Experts are great resources to find find collaborators.
Ask a Librarian
You can also reach out to a University Libraries Subject Specialist for assistance in connexting with potential collaborators.
View previous Calls for Proposal and Awards on our Archives Page.
About the Grant
Informational Webinar
The information in this Fall 2021 Collaborative Research Grant webinar is all still valid except for the timeline and the scope of the proposal, which has now been expanded to all VT academic disciplines.
Projects
Browse a selection of projects funded by the Collaborative Research Grant in our Project Showcase and read some VT news success stories about funded projects in our In the News section.
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Historical costume descriptors bridge gap between past and present , articleVirginia Tech fashion experts and computer scientists have teamed up to create a common language to describe clothing items that range from centuries old to present day thanks to the University Libraries Collaborative Research Grant for Humanities and Social Sciences.
Date: June 2026 - -
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Open textbook project wins prestigious international award , articleUniversity Libraries' Open Education Initiative team received a first-of-its-kind "highly commended" designation for the open textbook project "Original Études for the Developing Conductor" at the 2023 Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers Annual Conference Awards.
Date: January 2024 - -
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Collaboration on music textbook connects students to historically excluded composers , articleFor decades, music textbook publishers have relied on music available in the public domain for études — short compositions used to teach performing and conducting techniques. Music in public domain is mostly by the same batch of composers — such as Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler. This new freely available textbook breaks that mold.
Date: August 2023 - -
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Research collaboration uncovers stories of racial discrimination in housing covenants , articleThe project shows how racial segregation in Northern cities "was a system that was intentionally created, house by house, block by block, and subdivision by subdivision, across the city and across the country,” said LaDale Winling, associate professor of history and the study's principal investigator.
Date: June 2023 - -
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Cube Fest 2022 offers stellar sonic adventures , articleWith events Friday, Aug. 19, through Sunday, Aug. 21, Cube Fest presents the latest innovations in sound and musical composition. These works can only be properly experienced in one place in the entire world — the Cube.
Date: August 2022 -
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can I submit a proposal for a portion of a larger project?
The larger project shoud be broken down into smaller pieces and this grant should fund a specific smaller piece of work that fits in the budget and the timeline. That being said, putting your project in the context of the larger project indeed shows the potential impact of your proposal.
If submitting two proposals, do they have to be for different projects or with different collaborators?
Yes, both the co-PIs and the substance of the projects need to be different from each other. So, you cannot submit the same proposal or multiple closely related proposals in the same funding cycle. Any co-PI should not expect to work on more than two funded projects in this program in parallel (except in the summer due to funding cycle overlap).
I received funding from this program in a prior cycle. Can I work with the same team and submit a follow-up project?
This program is intended as a seed grant and hope to spur broader collaborations and more diverse ideas. If you have received funding from this program, we strongly encourage you to leverage the funding to build up work that will increase your success rate for external funding opportunities. Program co-directors reserve the right to decline follow-up projects or put them in a lower priority pool.
Do I have to fill in the collaborator form or attend the Meet-and-Greet to submit a proposal?
No. If you already know your collaborator and what idea you will be submitting, then you may directly submit the proposal. That being said, you are encouraged to submit a profile and/or participate in the Meet-and-Greet to get acquainted with other potential collaborators.
Yes if the travel is essential to the proposed research activity, and Virginia Tech's Travel Policy applies.
Please note all travel expenses must be spent within the performance period. Due to various uncertainties associated with travel, we recommend applicants to have a contingency plan if the travel budget cannot be spent on time.
Yes for the publications resulting from the proposed research activity.
Please note, however, all budgeted expenses must be spent within the performance period. Because the manuscript draft, submission, review, revision, and acceptance process can be long and unpredictable, we recommend applicants to have a contingency plan if the publication budget cannot be spent on time.
Please check the University Libraries' Open Access Guide to learn what discounts, waivers, or other resources are currently available to assist with publication costs.
Yes, part-time VT affiliates may participate in and get paid from projects where two full-time VT employees serve as co-PIs.
Please note this program is not intended to supplement VT employees' income. Therefore, part-time VT affiliates' participation period for this program should not overlap with their other VT contracts.