Leading a VIP Team: Responsibilities & Rewards
Why Join the VIP Program?
The Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program at Florida Atlantic offers faculty a unique opportunity to lead long-term, large-scale multidisciplinary research teams composed of enthusiastic undergraduate and graduate students. FAU’s VIP Program supports innovative, cross-disciplinary research that contributes to the University’s R1 status and fosters early student engagement in research.
Faculty Benefits
Faculty who lead VIP Teams gain:
- Sustained Research Teams: Students participate for multiple semesters, preserving knowledge and momentum.
- Enhanced Research Productivity: Increase mentoring capacity, transdisciplinary collaboration, and support for grant submissions.
- Motivated Student Support: Selection is based on enthusiasm, not GPA, leading to highly engaged contributors.
- Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Teams are co-led by faculty from different colleges or disciplines.
- Curricular Integration: Students earn DIR credit; work-study options may also be supported.
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Professional Growth: Opportunities for mentoring, collaboration, incorporation of cutting-edge Artificial
Intelligence and Data Science into research agendas, and broader impacts through research.
Note: Limited seed funding (up to $46,500) is available to selected teams through a competitive proposal process annually.
Faculty Expectations
To ensure the success and sustainability of VIP Teams, faculty are expected to:
- Lead a Multidisciplinary Team with at least two full-time faculty from different colleges and disciplines
- Develop a Sustainability Plan for long-term funding beyond Year 1 seed funding to support VIP Team continuity and contribute to FAU’s R1 research mission
- Ensure Student Registration in the appropriate 0-credit VIP Directed Independent Research (DIR) section each semester the students are involved in the VIP Team
- Facilitate Collaboration by having collaborators maintain a knowledge base for the VIP Team on a shared platform (Canvas, SharePoint, Google Drive)
- Host Regular Team Meetings every 1–2 weeks, including all members of your VIP Team (all PIs and co-PIs), and invite the VIP Associate Director and/or Graduate Assistant
- Attend Two Annual VIP Meetings (introductory and year-end) for program evaluation and planning
- Support Student Recruitment and respond to inquiries from interested students
- Offering Technical Skill Development in Artificial Intelligence and/or Data Science to all students involved in the VIP Team
- Facilitate DIR Credit and Work-Study Opportunities where applicable
- Participate in Program Assessment by reviewing student notebooks and providing data to VIP Program staff
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Stay Responsive to VIP Communications so we can highlight your team’s achievements and share updates!
Interested in Leading a VIP Team?
Each year, up to four new VIP Teams are selected through an annual call for proposals. Faculty are invited to submit a proposal outlining their research topic, team structure, and sustainability plan.
The call for VIP Teams for the 2026-2027 academic year is open. Lead a VIP Team and advance FAU’s R1 mission through meaningful, long-term research mentorship.