Prominent Virginia non-profit research institutions form partnership
Virginia Tech and The CNA Corporation (CNAC), a historically significant non-profit research organization, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on research programs of mutual interest.
Together, CNAC and Virginia Tech represent a formidable research partnership with a combined annual research budget of more than $325 million. They share research interests and have significant expertise in national defense, education, healthcare, transportation, and domestic security.
Dr. Jim Bohland, executive director of Northern Virginia Operations for Virginia Tech, announced the collaboration citing "a wealth of new opportunities for research collaboration and closer ties to federal agencies in the National Capital Region."
Key elements of the understanding include:
Collaboration on research programs of mutual interest;
Identifying priority interest areas and potential funding sources;
Establishing a joint research council to identify and review research opportunities and to facilitate collaborative and joint venture research projects;
Encouraging faculty and research staff exchanging and student mentoring between the institutions.
As an initial activity, CNAC will host a Virginia Tech faculty member at its headquarters in Alexandria.
"Research collaborations of this nature can be a valuable approach to seeking answers to the toughest research challenges facing society," said Dr. David Kelsey, senior vice president for research and The CNA Corporation. "It offers an opportunity for technical experts to think anew about the problems they are working to solve. We welcome this partnership."
The CNA Corporation, a non-profit institution has, for more than half a century, conducted high-level ,in-depth research and analysis of complex scientific, operational, and policy challenges on issues of domestic security, community safety, transportation, education, health care, human resources and national defense for decision-makers at all levels of government. For more information, visit www.cna.org.
Founded in 1872 as a land-grant college, Virginia Tech has grown to become the largest university in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Today, Virginia Tech's eight colleges are dedicated to putting knowledge to work through teaching, research, and outreach activities and to fulfilling its vision to be among the top 30 research universities in the nation. At its 2,600-acre main campus located in Blacksburg and other campus centers in Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia Tech enrolls more than 28,000 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries in 180 academic degree programs.
