Four funds that support prominent research at VCU are accepting new applications

By Emily Komornik
Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

Four funds at the heart of Virginia Commonwealth University's wide-ranging research enterprise are now accepting proposals in their latest cycle of funding.

Supporting innovative research projects across the university, the competitive funding opportunities - through the VCU Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Fund, the VCU Breakthroughs Fund, the VCU Momentum Fund and the VCU Quest Fund - were announced by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Over the past four years, these four funds have collectively supported 164 research projects touching on numerous disciplines, which speak to the breadth and depth of VCU's diversified research portfolio. Topics have included the early stages of COVID-19, the complexities of opioid and substance abuse disorders and addiction, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, housing insecurity, cancer research, film, and expressive arts such as dance and movement - with all projects aimed at improving the human condition.

"Now in our fourth year, VCU's internal research funding opportunities are catalyzing faculty-led research, transdisciplinary scholarship and innovation," said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation. "Our programs not only illustrate VCU's commitment to research and innovation, but they help support and fund some of the brightest minds in their fields to address some of society's grandest challenges."

While eligibility criteria vary for each of the four funds, all VCU faculty, regardless of discipline, tenure, school or college, are encouraged to explore the opportunities and consider applying.

• The VCU Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Fund supports, facilitates and enhances the creation, production and dissemination of arts, humanities and social sciences research and creative activity. The AHSS Fund is supported through a collaboration between the OVPRI the Office of the Provost.
• The VCU Breakthroughs Fund supports transdisciplinary teams tackling society's leading challenges as identified in the One VCU Research Strategic Priorities Plan. The goal of Breakthroughs projects is to produce tangible outcomes or position themselves for future external funding.
• The VCU Momentum Fund promotes impactful interdisciplinary research by providing multi-principal investigator research teams with support to prepare and submit competitive, external, multicomponent large-scale proposals.
• The VCU Quest Fund offers funding for new, emerging or continuing research projects across all disciplines. Projects that demonstrate transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and cross-campus collaboration are prioritized for funding.

For a detailed description of each fund's purpose, eligibility requirements, proposal details, deadlines and the application process, visit onevcuresearch.vcu.edu/funding. For other information and questions, contact [email protected].