# Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute Translational Neurobiology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (VTCRI neuroSURF)

> **NIH NIH R25** · VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV · 2021 · $107,792

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Traditional approaches to train students in single disciplines seem insufficient to prepare them for the
transdisciplinary future of translational neurobiology research. It is increasingly evident that the mere
assembling of a collection of sub-discipline experts (for example a geneticist, computation biologist and
psychologist) will be insufficient to adequately address the most important and pressing challenges in
neurobiology and in developing therapies for complex brain disorders. We believe that exposing
students to the transdisciplinary nature of translational neurobiology early in their careers is a crucial
component of their training and key to attracting bright students to pursue neurobiology-related careers.
To address this emerging and critical need, we have designed a summer undergraduate research
experience, called the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute's Translational Neurobiology Summer
Undergraduate Research Fellowship (VTCRI neuroSURF) program, which aims to expose the next
generation of early-career students to transdisciplinary, translational neurobiology. VTCRI neuroSURF
is a 10-week summer program that provides undergraduate and high school students the opportunity to
participate in hypothesis-driven, independent research in an area of translational neurobiology at the
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute in Roanoke, Virginia. In addition to these research
experiences, fellows will participate in coursework (in topics both in translational neurobiology and
professional development) and in a seminar series that highlight translational neurobiology research at
Virginia Tech (VT). Fundamental goals of this program are to provide research experiences to students
that would otherwise not have the opportunity to take part in translational neurobiology research and to
expose students to independent research early in their careers to increase the likelihood of their
choosing long-term careers in translational neurobiology-related fields.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10072082
- **Project number:** 5R25NS105141-04
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV
- **Principal Investigator:** MICHAEL A FOX
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $107,792
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10072082

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10072082, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute Translational Neurobiology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (VTCRI neuroSURF) (5R25NS105141-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10072082. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*