Center for Digital Research and Scholarship summer call for proposals

From: University Libraries

University Libraries' Center for Digital Research and Scholarship collaborative grant program supports collaborative research projects between University Libraries researchers and Virginia Tech academic departments, institutes, and centers. These projects will leverage the library's resources and expertise to explore research questions of significant interest to Virginia Tech researchers. Similar to the Mcubed model, the selection of this program will be through a weighted lottery instead of the formal merit review.

The deadline for proposal submission is April 28.

Funding
University Libraries will provide $5,000 and $10,000 for each funded project to be completed by the end of the 2026 spring semester. Funds can be used for items such as library collections, student wages, materials, and travel expenses critical to research activities. Salary and indirect cost to Virginia Tech employees cannot be charged, and the funding is not intended to supplement a university employee's income. We will no longer accommodate project extensions. By the end of the performance period, all unspent funds will be returned. Please note that the funds cannot be transferred to other departments and that all student wage workers must be hired through University Libraries.

Learn more about project guidelines and submission requirements.

Important dates
April 28: Proposals are due. Submit your proposal.
May 5: Awards Announced (Expected: The number of awarded projects is subject to change depending on the funds available.)
May 10: Project starts.
May 9, 2026: End of project, funding must be fully spent. The deadline to submit the spending report, presentation video, and associated slides.

Program co-directors Charlene Eska and Yinlin Chen will pre-screen submissions to ensure proposals are within the scope of this program.

For questions, contact Eska at ceska@vt.edu and Chen at ylchen@vt.edu