Education

Exposure to interdisciplinary research can cultivate a broad, cross-cutting perspective that provides context and motivation for advanced technical knowledge alongside a broad, sharpen students' abilities to communicate and work productively across boundaries, and create opportunities to make a difference in their local, national and global communities. ICTAS is committed to increasing access to these experiences for students at all levels.

For Undergraduates

Undergraduate research experiences are a core piece of the research mission at Virginia Tech.  ICTAS supports research experiences for undergraduate students through our ICTAS Undergraduate Research Fellowship, as well as through our VT Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR).  VT OUR helps students understand the research landscape and find a research opportunity,  and offers faculty a platform for posting open undergraduate research positions. 

Virginia Tech undergraduates can enroll in a Canvas page to look at informational videos, apply for a travel grant to present research at a conference, and participate in on-campus VT Research Conferences, among many other VT OUR opportunities.  

Other ways ICTAS supports interdisciplinary experiential learning opportunities for undergraduates include the Roop and Kavita Mahajan awards, which fund student projects aimed at reducing poverty in under-resourced communities, and the Virginia Tech Drone Park, a unique space for drone-related research, education, and recreation. 

For Graduate Students and Faculty  

ICTAS partners with Virginia Tech colleges and departments to enrich the research ecosystem through the ICTAS Doctoral Scholars Program, which recruits talented doctoral candidates interested in interdisciplinary research. The program provides a competitive fellowship, travel funding, and professional development opportunities.  Students applying for PhD programs in STEM disciplines, who are new to Virginia Tech, can be nominated by faculty interested in recruiting these students to Virginia Tech.  More information, including eligibility requirements, can be found here.