Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) are a "transformational" approach to long-term, multidisciplinary faculty-led research. By design, VIPs integrate undergraduate researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty mentors, and administrative staff into a single, hierarchical team-based project structure. This combination of diverse institutional rank, mixing of academic discipline, and opportunity for long-term commitment sets VIP from other organizational models.
Building off the VIP Consortium’s working definition, OURI offers a VIP as:
- Projects embedded in a faculty's research or creative agenda.
- Long-term and large-scale projects
- Projects in which participating undergraduate researchers can receive course credits and grades
- Opportunity for students to participate and earn credit for 3+ years on a single project/team
- Projects comprised by a multi-disciplinary teams (encouraged but not required)
- A dedicated classroom/meeting space where team members can regularly meet
- Projects in which faculty/student participation is based on mutual interest
OURI offers a range of support for VIPs teams, faculty leads, and undergraduate researchers. This backing ranges from material, logistical, and financial assistance to consultation and curricular facilitation.
For more information on VIP, how to join or start a team, or what OURI can do to support you, please contact Danny Gibboney (dg115@rice.edu).