Based on the foundation of the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology, Virginia Tech launched the Virginia Tech National Security Institute in September 2021. With a presence in Blacksburg and the Washington, D.C., metro area, the institute aspires to be the nation's preeminent academic organization at the nexus of interdisciplinary research, technology, policy, and talent development, the national security institute will advance national security in pursuit of a secure America.
Virginia Tech National Security Institute is a major strategic initiative for the University:
- The first institute established in over a decade, and only the third thematic (i.e., soft money) institute.
- The changing geopolitical landscape and relentless acceleration of technological innovation are creating an undeniable demand for defense sector innovation and talent.
- Dozens of faculty spent over two years developing the charter, in a collaborative effort reflective of the importance and breadth of the institute.
- Virginia Tech is putting resources behind the institute.
- It incorporates the Ted and Karyn Hume Center for National Security and Technology, along with assets historically invested in the Center (including the Hume endowment)
- It partners closely with VT-ARC, a $20M/year affiliated research corporation
- The university has committed to adding $450k per year in new base funding to the institute. This increases the total investment in the institute to $1.8M per year in base (internal note: this includes rent subsidy in RB1311). In addition, the institute will receive $1M in incentive funding for research brought in, which will scale as the institute grows. The institute will also receive nearly $500k in 2022 for startup funding
- In addition, Virginia Tech’s commitment to excelling in national security research is demonstrated by a major investment in secure research space in Northern Virginia. This investment is expected to approach $1.7M in its first year.
Virginia Tech National Security Institute builds on an area of strength for Virginia Tech
- At launch, the institute will have nearly $40M in intelligence- and defense-related research expenditures from the existing Hume and VT-ARC portfolios
- The Department of Defense is currently the largest single sponsor of Virginia Tech research activities
- Virginia Tech’s history with the Corps of Cadets, and role as a senior military college, gives it a strong connection to the defense and intelligence worlds
- Virginia Tech’s programs supporting secure and export controlled research have earned it multiple awards over the years
- Virginia Tech is in the top 25 institutions funded by the Department of Defense, and one of top 15 without a University Affiliated Research Center (i.e., a major, long-standing contract vehicle).
- [other markers of strength]
Virginia Tech National Security Institute will rise to meet national needs. Here are national priorities:
Virginia Tech National Security Institute is unique among other institutions
- The institute leverages proximity to the Washington D.C. metro area.
- Virginia Tech is the only Virginia institution in the top 25 funded by the Department of Defense, and only Johns Hopkins is the other in the DC area.
- The institute is only one of its kind to focus on workforce development.
- Building on Hume’s excellence with experiential learning and engagement, along with increasing interest in partnering across academic colleges, the institute will be a major producer of talent for the defense and intelligence sector.
