Federal Relations

The Pathfinder program, a collaboration of Vanderbilt University, the U.S. Army and the nonprofit Civil-Military Innovation Institute, continues launching innovative technology projects designed to address real-world military challenges and fostering technology commercialization through startup businesses. Read More

New technology to mitigate enemy radio jamming developed at Vanderbilt and advanced in collaboration with Soldiers at Fort Campbell has been delivered to U.S. Army Soldiers in the field. Read More

Federal policies have a significant impact on Vanderbilt, impacting the academic mission as well as the research enterprise. DCbrief covers the breadth of federal policy issues that could impact the university and provides readers with a concise roundup of important developments. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier met with members of Congress to advocate for federal investments in research and higher education. He urged for robust federal research funding and student aid programs, and highlighted Vanderbilt’s leading role in building the innovation ecosystem in Tennessee, particularly in the automotive industry. Read More

Philippe Fauchet, the Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of Engineering at Vanderbilt University, met with members of Congress last week while in Washington, D.C., to emphasize the integral role that engineering research plays in strengthening the United States’ competitiveness and security. Read More

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier led 66 other leaders of Tennessee’s colleges and universities today in sending a letter to the Tennessee congressional delegation urging them to make an affordable, high-quality college education more attainable for students by doubling the maximum Pell Grant award and permanently indexing the grant to inflation to ensure that its value will no longer diminish over time. Read More

Two graduate students from Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering and one from the School of Medicine Basic Sciences recently addressed legislators in Washington, D.C., virtually, sharing stories about the important role funding from the National Science Foundation has played in their research and training. Read More

United States Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond recently visited Vanderbilt to learn about the pioneering aerospace engineering projects at the university’s research institutes and trans-institutional programs. Read More

A back-assist exoskeleton developed by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Karl Zelik at Vanderbilt is being recognized by the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities for their annual innovation showcase. Read More

Vanderbilt University is urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to withdraw a new proposal that would limit the duration of international student visas to either four or two years, depending on a student’s home country or country of birth. Read More

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan R. Wente recently wrote to members of the Tennessee congressional delegation, urging them to support America’s leading research universities as they work through the ramifications of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Read More

United States competitiveness, workforce development and university partnerships were the topics of interest for Philippe Fauchet, Bruce and Bridgitt Evans Dean of the School of Engineering, and members and staff of the Tennessee congressional delegation earlier this month in Washington, D.C. Read More

Christina West, associate vice chancellor for federal relations, has been appointed to the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities Board of Directors. She will serve as an ad-hoc non-voting government relations representative for a three-year term. Read More

Read about recent faculty, staff, student and alumni awards, appointments and achievements. Read More

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Susan R. Wente emphasized the need to reaffirm the longstanding partnership between the federal government and America’s leading research universities when they met with members of the Tennessee congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., this week. Read More

Christina West has been promoted to associate vice chancellor for federal relations in Vanderbilt’s Office of Federal Relations. Read More

The biannual report, published by the Division of Public Affairs, summarizes Vanderbilt’s year-to-date activities at the federal, state and local levels of government. Read More

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos thanked members of Congress during a visit to Capitol Hill this week for rejecting the administration’s proposed budget cuts that would cripple American innovation and economic growth. Read More

Congress has reaffirmed the partnership between the federal government and American research universities by enacting a bipartisan appropriations spending package for fiscal year 2017 that preserves and increases funding for key federal research agencies—including a $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health. Read More

A nearly $5 million grant from the National Institute of Justice will fund a five-year partnership between the Office of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Metro Schools, Oasis Center and Vanderbilt. Read More