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Meet the Spring 2026 PREP Program recipients

Now in its fourth year, the Preparing Your Research for an Extramural Proposal (PREP) Program supports Virginia Tech faculty in the social sciences, with an emphasis on those new to grant writing or who have faced challenges with past proposals. This spring, the 2026 cohort developed competitive proposals through hands-on training, focusing on non-federal funding opportunities, including the Spencer Foundation, W.T. Grant Foundation, Graham Foundation, and the U.S.-Japan Foundation.

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The 2026 ISCE PREP Program Cohort includes (from left): Lia Kelinsky-Jones, Pipiet Larasatie, Gonzalo Muñoz-Vera, and Jenn Engelke.
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    Search Underway for ISCE’s Next Executive Director
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    Reporting to the senior vice president for research and innovation, the executive director will shape the institute’s strategic direction, lead a social science research agenda by catalyzing innovative and translational research and scholarship, and foster collaboration across colleges. As a member of Virginia Tech’s senior leadership team, the executive director will engage with key councils and initiatives to elevate the university’s research profile, advance the Beyond Boundaries vision, and strengthen the institute’s broad social science partnerships and initiatives. The new executive director will succeed Karen Roberto, who will retire in August after more than 40 years in academia, including 30 years at Virginia Tech and 20 years as the institute’s inaugural executive director.

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    Curious Conversations Podcast: Ben Katz Talks About Lifestyle Choices and Brain Health
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    Virginia Tech researcher Ben Katz joined the “Curious Conversations” podcast to discuss how lifestyle choices such as exercise, diet, sleep, time in nature, and social connection can support brain health and cognitive function. Katz, an associate professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and previous recipient of Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment support, studies interventions designed to improve executive functioning and cognition.

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    ISCE/CLAHS Information Session for Just Tech Fellowship
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    ISCE and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences will host a virtual information session about the Social Science Research Council’s (SSRC) Just Tech Fellowship opportunity on Thursday, May 28, at 11 a.m. The fellowship welcomes applicants from a wide range of fields and supports rigorous, original, and community-grounded work that addresses pressing questions about how technology shapes society and public life, providing fellows with a one-year unrestricted award of up to $60,000. The information session will review the funding opportunity and application requirements and feature remarks by Fernanda Ribeiro Rosa, a Science, Technology, and Society faculty member who recently completed a Just Tech Fellowship, followed by time for Q&A.

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