Collaborative Research Grants

4-VA collaborative research grants establish unprecedented partnerships between faculty and universities, building rich research communities across the Commonwealth. The collaborative nature of the research maximizes university resources and leverages faculty expertise. Highly specialized laboratory equipment at one 4-VA university can be shared to advance the research at a partner university. Undergraduate and graduate research opportunities can support mentorships and build a pipeline for graduate programs. As a result, Virginia has generated new research topics, stronger proposals, and increased submissions to external granting agencies.

4-VA at UVA awards collaborative research grants to UVA faculty members each spring to improve research competitiveness within the Commonwealth by providing funding for faculty teams to engage in pilot research that could be used as a springboard for subsequent external funding. 

Course Sharing

Through the course sharing initiative, 4-VA leverages the strengths of each partner university by sharing courses to boost efficiency and expand student access. When the demand for a course falls below the minimum enrollment at any one university, 4-VA course sharing can extend the course offering to students at other 4-VA universities. Using remote access technologies, shared courses allow faculty to teach these courses to students in several different locations at once. By maximizing shared resources, course sharing provides students with greater access to the courses they need without spending extra time or money.