National Science Foundation thought leaders slated for upcoming talks hosted by the Office for Research and Innovation
National Science Foundation’s Director of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships Andrea Belz and Vice Chair of the National Science Board Victor McCrary are two of the renowned experts programmed in upcoming events in the Research Development Support Series.
In January, the Office for Research and Innovation launched its virtual webinar series focused on different facets of sponsored research designed to aid Virginia Tech researchers in their journey to increase the scope and impact of their research, creativity, and innovation portfolio by answering their biggest questions at every step of their career.
“The new webinar series is part of our efforts to expand our research development support for active Virginia Tech principal investigators,” said Dan Sui, vice president for research and innovation at Virginia Tech. “Through this series, we aim not only to connect our researchers to external and internal thought leaders to better understand the funding trends, but also to strengthen our community and cultivate transdisciplinary collaboration.”
A change agent and serial innovator responsible for developing comprehensive, sustainable research strategies, McCrary was appointed in 2016 by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation. In his talk, McCrary will share insights into the National Science Foundation’s National Science Board’s Vision 2030 report and how the U.S can continue to lead innovation into the future. McCrary, also vice president for research and graduate programs at the University of the District of Columbia, leads the growth, development, direction, and oversight of Columbia’s research enterprise.
For nearly 20 years, Belz has advised universities, corporations, and other organizations on commercialization opportunities as a managing member of the Belz Consulting Group. Her recent research has focused on technology ventures, from startups through publicly funded launch programs to private funding. Belz has worked with many university startups and investors, most recently representing a major angel investing group on the board of a Caltech spinoff laser manufacturer until its acquisition in 2018. Belz’s talk, “Accelerating applied research for societal impact,” will showcase how the National Science Foundation innovation programs move ideas from the lab to market.
In a third webinar, Virginia Tech experts Charlie Phlegar, vice president for advancement; Brandy Salmon, associate vice president for innovation and partnerships; Tracy Krauchun, director of foundation relations, LINK + LICENSE + LAUNCH; Mike Friedlander, executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC; and Sylvester Johnson, assistant vice provost for the humanities and director of the Center for Humanities, will provide perspectives on how to establish and strengthen meaningful partnerships with philanthropic foundations.
Recordings of two events in the series that took place earlier in the year are available: A Roadmap to Building Large-Scale Centers and Journey Towards a Successful Engineering Research Center.
Register for upcoming events:
Research Development Support: National Science Board Vision 2030
March 18, 2021 | 12 - 1:00 p.m.
The Office for Research and Innovation is hosting their third event in the Research Development Support series and will host guest speaker Victor McCrary, vice chair of the National Science Board, who will share insights into the National Science Foundation’s National Science Board’s Vision 2030 report and what actions can those in government, industry, and academia take to ensure that the U.S. continues to lead in innovation in 2030. The talk will be followed by a Q&A.
Visit the webpage to learn more and register.
Research Development Support: Private Foundation Relations and Strategies
March 30, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
The Office for Research and Innovation is hosting its fourth virtual event for Virginia Tech researchers that want to learn more about the importance of foundations in funding research programs. Leaders of Virginia Tech research administration, advancement, and faculty will provide their perspectives on how to establish and strengthen meaningful partnerships with philanthropic foundations. The panelist conversation will be followed with Q&A.
Visit the webpage to learn more and register.
Research Development Support: Accelerating applied research for societal impact
April 6, 2021 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.
The Office for Research and Innovation is hosting its fifth event in the Research Development Support series and will host Andrea Belz, director of industrial innovation and partnerships for the National Science Foundation, who will share how the National Science Foundation innovation programs move ideas from the lab to the marketplace, with the goal to strengthen America’s economy, health, and security. The talk will be followed with Q&A.
