Seed Grant Funding

A transdisciplinary, community‑engaged effort to adapt and test Episodic Future Thinking as a brief, whole‑person intervention that helps individuals at risk for suicide build hope, future‑orientation, and improved well‑being across community and clinical settings.

A community‑engaged qualitative study examining how holistic health services can be integrated into small, rural, independent schools, comparing insights with public‑school SBHC models to develop adaptable, sustainable approaches that improve student and family well‑being across rural communities.

A community‑engaged study examining how shelter rule communication affects the mental health of domestic violence survivors and co‑developing trauma‑informed approaches that promote safety, autonomy, and emotional well‑being during shelter transitions.

A nurse‑informed, wearable technology project developing soft‑robotic compression socks to reduce fatigue and musculoskeletal strain, supporting frontline nurses’ health, resilience, and long‑term well‑being. Funding is generously provided in collaboration with Carilion Clinic.

A Virginia Tech–Carilion collaboration developing a combined simulation and machine‑learning framework to identify and address systemic barriers to mental‑health access in rural Southwest Virginia, testing solutions—from telehealth expansion to patient navigation—that improve appointment follow‑through and continuity of care. Collaborative funding for this project is provided by the Whole Health Consortium in partnership with the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment (ISCE) at Virginia Tech and Carilion Clinic.

This project will identify underserved areas and create solutions to improve veterans’ access to pain management.

This project will involve investigating how hospital design, environment, and communication among patients, clinicians, and families affect wellness during patient care activities.

The aim of this project is to understand and address unique prevention and response strategies around sexual abuse affecting individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

This project will lay the groundwork for novel interventions that reduce chronic pain and opioid misuse, tailored to Appalachian communities.

The goal of this project is to examine how medical interpreters balance objectivity with culturally responsive advocacy for Indigenous patients.

This project will address the need for alternative, non-pharmacological approaches to depression, particularly in mothers and children.

The goal of this project is to collaboratively design an interactive artificial intelligence (AI) system using large language models to support the mental health needs of autistic adults, with a specific focus on repetitive negative self-talk.

The goal of this project is to build collaborative partnerships between Virginia Tech’s Child Study Center, schools, and families in Southwest Virginia to identify current youth mental health needs and resources, and to leverage community perspectives in ongoing and future mental health related research.