New Faculty Research & Innovation Checklist

Set Up Your Research Environment

Transfer Your Grants or Data to Vanderbilt

  • Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA) in conjunction with department grant managers, assists with pre-award functions. Proposals and awards are managed through Vanderbilt Electronic Research Administration (VERA), and SPA provides training materials for learning the system.
  • SPA can help you update the institution affiliation associated with your sponsors such as an NIH eRA commons ID or NSF ID.
  • For active grants or contracts that will be transferring to VU—either through (a) an award transfer from the sponsor or (b) an incoming subaward to VU from the original awardee institution, please work with your department and SPA as soon as possible prior to your appointment to initiate necessary approvals.
  • Data transferring to VU from an outside entity may require a Data Use Agreement approved by SPA in collaboration with Vanderbilt University Information Technology, as applicable. SPA can assist with determining whether a Data Use Agreement is necessary and assess contracting and information security needs.

Leveraging Computing for Research

  • The Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education (ACCRE)

    is Vanderbilt’s home for high performance computing (HPC) and research data storage. ACCRE supports the full spectrum of research information technology with a dual focus on computing infrastructure and user support. For computing infrastructure, ACCRE provides large scale CPU and GPU computing, group workstations, and a broad set of common software. They can walk you through initial usage, technical aspects of transferring data to Vanderbilt and getting your lab's computing needs configured. ACCRE has a team of research software engineers available to assist with scripting, data workflows, websites, or application development in your group research.


Manage your Intellectual Property and Export Compliance

  • Did you develop intellectual property at your previous institution which you plan to continue using for research at Vanderbilt? The Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization can help you assess your needs and coordinate with your previous institution on any future commercialization efforts.
  • Vanderbilt Export Compliance (VEC) helps researchers adhere to U.S. export regulations by developing Technology Control Plans for restricted research, advising on international travel, acquiring licenses for global shipments, and screening for denied entities.

Submit Your Animal or Human Subject Studies for IRB or IACUC Approval


Prepare Your Lab for Research Involving Chemicals, Biological Material, Radioactive Materials, X-Ray Units, Lasers, or Controlled Substances

  • Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team can help you set up and manage your lab safely, determine what VU training is appropriate for your research group, and assist you with required approvals through the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and Radiation Safety Committee (RSC).
  • For animal research involving controlled substances, such as addictive drugs, please work with the VUMC Animal Care and Use Program. All other research involving controlled substances is supported by the Vanderbilt University Police Department.
  • If bringing biological materials from your previous institution, initiate a Material Transfer Agreement via Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization’s MTAShare to properly document the transfer.

Expand Your Impact