Discovery Vanderbilt

The Sept. 10 Vanderbilt in the City doubled as the public debut of the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Engagement, a new Discovery Vanderbilt center designed to connect university experts with the public. “Who Do You Trust and Why? Expertise in an Age of Algorithms” drew faculty, alumni, students and New York neighbors into a discussion of how knowledge travels—and stalls—in a media environment that’s shaped by social platforms, artificial intelligence and eroding institutional trust. Read More

At Vanderbilt University’s New York City campus in Chelsea, a new institute will explore a pressing challenge: How can universities ensure that credible expertise reaches people in an information landscape that is increasingly shaped by algorithms, fragmented media and declining public trust? Read More

Vanderbilt University researchers are analyzing mineral deposits in Western caves to reconstruct thousands of years of climate and wildfire history. Backed by international and internal grants, the team studies subterranean records to better understand environmental change and climate trends. Read More

Kickoff event for the Dare to Grow campaign (Vanderbilt University) Vanderbilt University’s historic Dare to Grow campaign concluded June 30, 2026, with $4.5 billion in donor support—fueled by a record-breaking $757 million raised in the campaign’s final year, a 350 percent increase in annual fundraising performance since 2021, and… Read More

Anonymous donors have committed $25 million to build a bold new hub of innovation and discovery at Vanderbilt University—a multipurpose science facility that will shape the future of research and education on campus and beyond. Read More

When Vanderbilt University Provost C. Cybele Raver sits down with faculty to learn something new, her classroom isn’t a lecture hall or research lab—it’s the Quantum Potential podcast studio. Read More

Vanderbilt University has announced its fall 2025 recipients of the Seeding Success, Scaling Success and Rapid-Advancement MicroGrant Program awards, providing internal funding to help faculty launch new research directions, strengthen proposals and compete for major external grants. Read More

New drug discovery institute brings together AI, genomics, systems biology and translational research to accelerate cures for major diseases. Read More

Starting in October 2025, the Center for Global Democracy, with support from the Kellogg Institute, will conduct the 2025/26 round of the AmericasBarometer, which tracks public opinion on democracy in 20 countries across the Americas. The initiative builds on the Center for Global Democracy’s expertise in survey research while drawing on the Kellogg Institute’s long-standing strength in the study of democracy in Latin America. Read More

Discovery Vanderbilt officially launched its Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate, building on a year of development. The interdisciplinary center advances solutions in energy transformation, climate adaptation, infrastructure resilience and sustainable resource use. Read More

The Vanderbilt Center for Sustainability, Energy and Climate has a new director—Hussam Mahmoud. Mahmoud, professor of civil and environmental engineering, joins Vanderbilt from Colorado State. VSEC's mission is to investigate energy, infrastructure, climate and systems to address the grand social and scientific challenges to ensuring a sustainable planet. The center was established in 2024 as a part of Discovery Vanderbilt; Associate Professor Hiba Baroud was the inaugural and interim director. Read More

Five Vanderbilt researchers have received Seeding Success grants for early-stage projects that have strong potential for external funding. The program, managed by Research Development and Support, reflects the university’s commitment to advancing high-impact research across disciplines. Read More

Vanderbilt University is launching the Provost Discovery Bridge Funding Program to provide short-term financial support ranging from three to six months to faculty researchers affected by stop work or termination orders for research they were doing with federal support. Read More

Vanderbilt University’s new Center for Computational Systems Biology brings computer science, engineering and biomedical researchers together with clinicians at Vanderbilt University Medical Center to accelerate discovery related to human diseases and conditions. Read More

Cybele Raver’s ‘Quantum Potential’ podcast explores solutions for humanity’s greatest challenges. Read More

The Dare to Grow campaign, which was launched publicly in spring 2023, has eclipsed its $3.2 billion fundraising goal 20 months ahead of its target date of June 30, 2026, underscoring the generosity of donors, widespread enthusiasm for the university’s vision and boundless potential for the future. The news is both a celebration and a call to action as Vanderbilt looks ahead to deepening its impact in Nashville, across the nation and around the world. Read More

Vanderbilt's Spring 2024 Scaling Success Grant awards support four innovative research projects, empowering faculty to secure expanded external funding. The grant program, initiated in 2022, has already helped its inaugural awardees obtain prestigious grants. Read More

Thirteen innovative projects across seven colleges and schools have been selected for the spring 2024 round of Seeding Success internal grants. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation announced the recipient list on May 31. Read More

See some of the bold and collaborative actions Vanderbilt University accomplished this year an innovator and leader in solving the world’s most pressing challenges. Read More