Cadets, faculty, and staff enhance their experience through research, scholarship, and creative activity.
Teachers and researchers are continuously developing their interests, contributing to their fields of study, improving their curricula, and fostering a culture of inquiry and investigation for cadets at VMI. Multiple offices at the Institute support these efforts, from instruction and oversight, to funding and facilitation.
For Cadets
Cadet research projects at the Institute can span one to two years — with the bulk of it being conducted over one or two summers. VMI provides programs, policies, and initiatives to support researchers in every phase of inquiry.
Research Review
VMI’s Institutional Review Board provides approvals and oversight for research by VMI cadets, faculty, and staff involving human participants, and on research conducted using members of the VMI community.
Sponsored Programs
Support is available to VMI faculty for research, instructional, developmental, or service projects. The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) is available to help faculty develop scholarly and creative interests and to encourage a climate in which cadets are actively engaged in the pursuit of new knowledge.
The OSP works with faculty in investigating funding opportunities, developing project ideas, constructing budgets, reviewing and critiquing proposals, preparing submissions, negotiating grants and contracts, and reporting the results of their work, and providing grants training. The office also helps with compliance questions, and project monitoring requirements for animal care and use; human subjects in research; and research ethics.
The OSP reviews and approves all proposals, especially if they:
- involve the use of the resources of the Institute (including personnel, offices, and equipment); and/or
- provide compensation in the form of release time or extra service pay; and/or
- require in-kind contributions; and/or
- are to be administered by the Institute as a condition of the proposed grant.
Documents & Forms
- Research Proposal Form and Sponsored Programs Policy – General Order 12
- Intellectual Property Policy – General Order 14
- Record of Invention [fillable MS Word document]
- Record of Invention Guidelines & Instructions
Intellectual Property
Intellectual property is generally considered to include but is not limited to, inventions, patents, copyrighted works, and know-how or trade secrets. This policy governs intellectual property developed by Institute Members, such as the faculty, staff, and cadets. Intellectual property produced by Institute Members must be disclosed using a record of invention form, in accordance with the form instructions (see above).
- Intellectual Property Policy – General Order 14
- Record of Invention [fillable MS Word document]
Questions? Contact:
VMI Research Labs
VMI Research Labs facilitates the pursuit of research by faculty members at VMI through the administration of grants and contracts and sponsorship of research activities.
Since its inception, VMIRL has administered more than 260 grants and contracts totaling nearly $10,000,000. Faculty researchers at VMI have obtained financial support for their projects from federal sources such as NSF, NIH, NEH, Agricultural Research Service of the USDA, DoD, and the Army Research Institute, as well as from state resources, e.g., VDOT, Va. Department of Environmental Quality, Center for Innovative Technology, Va. Department of Health, Va. Department of Information Technology, and Va. Department of Technology Planning, and from private corporations such as Babcock and Wilcox, Jeffress Memorial Trust, Emhart Glass, Research Corp. of America, Ford Motor Corporation, and the Harrington Corporation.
Faculty wishing to submit a grant should first review VMIRL’s Policies and Procedures Manual and VMI’s Sponsored Programs Policy.
Questions about Sponsored Programs at VMI? Contact:
Dr. Megan Newman, Sponsored Programs Administrator
Phone: 540-464-7254
Office: 613 Preston Library
Mailing Address for USPS: NAME (If to an individual), Sponsored Programs, 510 Burma Road, P.O. Box 1839, Lexington, VA, 24450
For Other Carriers: NAME (If to an individual), Sponsored Programs, 510 Burma Road, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA, 24450
Enriching Experiences
Cadets at VMI are able to take learning beyond the traditional classroom setting. From international experiences and internships, to elite military training and competition, to guidance along the path to graduate studies, faculty and staff in Lexington support each individual along his or her own unique leadership journey.
Study Abroad
In addition to VMI’s robust core curriculum, the Institute encourages every cadet to expand their horizons academically and geographically. Beyond guided undergraduate research, cadets at VMI can also spend their summers – or in some cases, an entire semester – abroad taking courses and embracing the culture of other nations. Study abroad programs are facilitated by VMI’s Office of Global Education.
Innovation Programming
One of the Institute’s newest programs for cadets, the main feature of Innovation Programming at VMI is the Summer Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program. This opportunity consists of a five-week summer course, field trips to start-up companies and incubators, and interaction with invited speakers, chosen from alumni and business leaders.
Career Fairs & Internships
Cadets are encouraged to meet with employers are career fairs on post and seek summer internships in their chosen field of study to enhance both their learning and their resumes as they prepare to succeed beyond the Limits Gates. The Office of Career Services is a vital resource as cadets look for top opportunities.
ROTC Training
For those choosing to commission, training programs are required during specific intervals based on service branch. For Army ROTC cadets, the opportunity also exists to compete in Ranger Challenge, where VMI has found success on the global stage at Exercise Cambrian Patrol in Wales, UK.
Postgraduate Scholarships & Pre-Professional Programs
While educating citizen-soldiers, VMI looks to its cadets futures as a source of pride. As such, the Institute supports cadet efforts to secure prestigious postgraduate study funding and provide training and guidance for cadets looking to enter law and health professions programs.
Explore additional information on community research resources including VMI’s accredited museums and vast holdings in Preston Library and the VMI Archives.