Office of Undergraduate Research

2020-21 Undergraduate Research Policy

Individual and community health and safety remain the highest priority as the university prepares for fall instruction. Among possible face-to-face experiential learning opportunities, undergraduate research has the potential for students to participate in hands-on learning in environments that have always required compliance with state, federal, and institutional safety regulations. The Virginia Tech Plan for Reinstating Undergraduate Research for 2020-2021 establishes the conditions under which undergraduates can return to conduct research during the fall 2020 semester.

Included in this Plan is a new mandatory form indicating agreement to the requirements for conducting undergraduate research.  Students are required to initiate and sign the form, which applies to all experiential learning modalities. Upon submission, the form will be automatically forwarded to the research supervisor for signature. This form will be in addition to any college level forms required for students wishing to register for undergraduate research credit hours.

These requirements apply to ALL Virginia Tech undergraduate students who will be conducting face-to-face research, whether for credit, for pay, or as volunteers and align with the existing requirements that were approved for Fall teaching labs as well as the research requirements established by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI). Failure to complete the form will prohibit students from engaging in in-person research activities and can result in students being dropped from research courses.

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The Office of Undergraduate Research is operating virtually and can be reached by email at undergraduateresearch@vt.edu. Visit our Resource and FAQ page related to virtualizing undergraduate research.

Visit Virginia Tech's COVID-19 page for official communications from the university.