The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program supports faculty research by embedding multidisciplinary student teams in large-scale long-term faculty projects. The multi-semester, multi-disciplinary structure creates large teams where returning students mentor new students, and all students gain experience vital to today’s global workforce. Vertical integration refers to team composition, which includes sophomores through graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty. Faculty benefit from their teams’ work, and research has shown gains in student leadership, job placement, ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, and understanding of technologies relevant to students’ fields.
Faculty and students participate in greater numbers every year, increasing the institute’s capacity for experiential learning, advancing faculty research, and supporting Georgia Tech’s vision to develop leaders who improve the human condition and advance technology.
For Students
Join a student team embedded in faculty research
VIP gives students access to faculty research. It differs from traditional undergraduate (and graduate) research in that it is team-based and multidisciplinary. Students are encouraged to participate multiple semesters, taking on greater technical and leadership responsibilities in their second and subsequent semesters. VIP is a project-based course for sophomores and above, offered for 1-2 credits per semester. Experience is not required, but willingness to learn and work with others is a must.
Jason Jagielo
Undergraduate, Secure Hardware Team, VIP Ambassador, 2023-2024
For Faculty
Create the team you need to move your research forward, from new ideas to sponsored projects
VIP enables faculty to build large multidisciplinary student teams based on faculty needs and student interests. Through VIP, faculty can take on larger-scale projects than otherwise possible, can more easily cross disciplinary boundaries, and can test new ideas in low-stakes settings. Students who participate multiple semesters become subteam leaders, creating continuity and decreasing the leadership burden on faculty. These large teams make meaningful contributions to faculty research and project portfolios, while the impactful projects VIP enables appeal to grant organizations and donors.
For Potential Supporters
We offer mutiple ways to support VIP. Industry partners can support via our Industrial Affiliates program. While faculty start teams and ultimately determine the directions of research, for just $20K per team per year, industry professionals can connect with Georgia Tech students as early as sophomore year and can develop deep relationships with both students and faculty through the long-term project work teams engage in. To get started, we recommend searching our Teams page to identify which team or teams you would like to work with.
Meanwhile, individual donors have the opportunity to support a program that serves students all over campus–over the past three years 1/3 of graduates have participated in VIP at some point while at Georgia Tech. Research has shown that VIP helps students develop workforce skills and leadership abilities by having them put theory into practice on long-term projects. Donations can help support new team start up costs, project innovation, and awards for student excellence, among other possibilities.
