Linda Duffy named assistant vice president of research and innovation and director of sponsored programs
Linda Duffy has been named assistant vice president of research and innovation and director of sponsored programs in the Office of Research and Innovation.
Effective Aug. 5, Duffy now leads Office of Sponsored Programs, which is responsible for support for all research and scholarly activity of Virginia Tech's research enterprise. Working collaboratively across the university’s academic colleges, research institutes, and affiliated corporations, she heads a comprehensive effort that includes proposal submission, contract negotiation for funded and non-funded research agreements, as well as award management and financial compliance for sponsored work.
“I'm really excited about Virginia Tech's trajectory in the research arena,” Duffy said. “The breadth of projects and sponsors we have is tremendous spanning from medical research and human sciences to wireless, quantum, and national security, and all seem to have an equal footing on campus. I’m very excited about that.”
Prior to coming to Virginia Tech, Duffy worked as the director of contracts, grants, and procurement services for The RAND Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and as the associate vice president of sponsored programs at Carnegie Mellon University. She also spent time providing legal support to the University of Pittsburgh’s Offices of Research and Purchasing Services as associate general counsel for the university.
“We’re so very pleased to welcome Linda to the Virginia Tech research community,” said Dan Sui, senior vice president for research and innovation. “She brings the robust experience of having served almost two decades in research administration in both higher education and industry. She will play a key role in us achieving global distinction as a university that delivers innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Duffy joins the Office of Research and Innovation at a pivotal time. In 2023, the office enabled nearly $2 billion in sponsored proposals, more than $450 million in sponsored awards, and $375 million in sponsored expenditures.
Driven by a passion to help continue Virginia Tech’s cutting-edge work, Duffy said she wants researchers to know her office is a tool to help advance their work. And individually, she believes her experiences lend themselves to helping researchers navigate risk factors within the sponsored research landscape.
“The Office of Sponsored Programs staff take great pride in helping curious minds and creative problem solvers reach their full potential,” Duffy said. “We are definitely on the researchers’ team and we are here to be an internal resource for them.”
