The Vertically Integrated Projects for Research (VIPR) program is an initiative out of the Office of Instruction designed to unite the University of Georgia’s commitments to excellence in instruction and in research. 

The program launched in fall 2024 with seven teams across various fields of research, including agriculture, ecology, geosciences, medicine, psychology, and biology. There are now 20 VIPR teams as the program heads into 2026.

This program follows a national model from the VIP Consortium and aims to offer a research structure that supports collaborative, interdisciplinary research teams that include undergraduate researchers, their faculty mentors, and other scientists at UGA.

VIPR teams engage UGA students in long-term, large-scale, multidisciplinary research as they work alongside faculty and graduate students to solve real-world challenges.

Through this innovative teamwork, this program provides three main benefits:

• Undergraduate students are more prepared for the future

• • VIPR teams are built with student success in mind. They are accessible, allowing students to experience professional research projects typically reserved for graduate students and faculty.

• Faculty and graduate students gain mentorship experiences

• • VIPR teams are scalable, helping faculty design teams that work best at the University of Georgia. Faculty have the opportunity to connect undergraduate and graduate students to the research that inspires them the most.

• Faculty research is advanced across the university

• • As the birthplace of public higher education in America, the University of Georgia is inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs, researchers, and informed citizens who will change the world.

Learn more: VIPR.uga.edu