Night photo of the Richmond skyline, focusing on the VCU medical campus.

Aug. 5, 2024

VCU’s acclaimed research portfolio bolstered by three letters – RIC – that go far beyond Richmond

The 17 universitywide Research-related Institutes and Centers are collaborative hubs that address society’s top challenges.

Research-related Institutes and Centers are organizational units that bring together groups of researchers – including faculty, students and postdoctoral scholars – who span multiple units across the university’s campuses. (Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
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By Emily Komornik
Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

Showcasing the breadth and depth of its renowned research enterprise, Virginia Commonwealth University now has 17 designated universitywide RICs – Research-related Institutes and Centers – that promote multidisciplinary work targeting society’s critical problems.

RICs are organizational units that bring together groups of researchers – including faculty, students and postdoctoral scholars – who span multiple units across the university’s campuses. With focus areas that include including health and medicine, sustainable energy and the environment,  science and engineering, and arts and humanities, RICs support scholarship and creative expression consistent with the goals of Quest 2028 and the One VCU Research Strategic Priorities Plan.

Effective July 1, after the most recent peer-review process and round of funding, there are 17 RICs with universitywide designation, all receiving significant investment from the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

“The RICs contribute to the national and international prominence of VCU as a research university,” said P. Srirama Rao, Ph.D., vice president for research and innovation. “Our continued investments in these institutes and centers is a testament to the university’s commitment to supporting and promoting collaborative research that addresses critical issues and improves lives.”

RICs offer an array of advantages to the research community. By promoting a culture of collaboration and encouraging cross-disciplinary approaches, they enhance research quality and productivity while  supporting faculty development. RICs also help bridging the gap between research and practice, translating discoveries into real-world applications. And through unique educational opportunities, RICs cultivate future generations of researchers and practitioners.

RICs are a major contributor to the rapid growth of the VCU’s research enterprise, which has increased extramural funding by more than 70% in the past five years. In part due to their success, VCU is now ranked among the Top 50 public research universities by the National Science Foundation.

To learn more about the Research-related Institutes and Centers, including those that have received the universitywide designation, visit: research.vcu.edu/resources/institutes-and-centers/.