The EIR program, part of VIPC’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) suite of programs, provides annual grant funding to Virginia’s R1- and R1-designated research colleges and universities to support one or more experienced entrepreneurs-in-residence who collaborate closely with faculty, students, and technology transfer leaders. EIRs identify high-potential commercialization opportunities, strengthen go-to-market strategies, and accelerate the launch of technology-driven startup companies. By pairing seasoned entrepreneurial leadership with university-based innovation, the EIR program increases the likelihood that promising technologies advance into successful Virginia-based companies.
Who
Virginia’s R1- and R2-designated institutions of higher education as classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
What
Grants up to $250,000 for the period April 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
When
Applications must be submitted no later than March 16, 2026.
How
All applications must be submitted online by the institution’s authorized representative, usually a grants administrator within the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Applications must be submitted by an authorized representative of the applicant institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) or equivalent authority. Prior to submission, the project team is encouraged to prepare their application’s content using a VIPC-provided application worksheet and coordinate provision of this content and other application components with OSP.
A minimum one-to-one match is required. Matching funds are monies that will be supplied by the applicant in an amount that equals or exceeds the CCF request. Matching funds may come from federal, foundation, private, or other non-Commonwealth of Virginia sources and must support the proposed CCF project and be spent during its period of performance. As it relates to Commonwealth of Virginia sources, however, the salary of a public university researcher and/or associated indirect costs, even if considered state monies, may be used as the source of matching funds. More examples of eligible and ineligible sources of matching funds can be found in the FAQs.
Project timelines are expected to be sufficient to accomplish 2-3 key milestones and may range from 6-24 months. However, projects that are shorter or longer are acceptable.
CCF applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Each application will be reviewed initially by VIPC for general compliance and suitability for CCF funding. Applicants selected to advance will be invited to meet with the CCF team to pitch their project and technology and for Q&A. For applicants that are subsequently selected to advance, the CCF team will conduct due diligence on the applicant and the proposed project; the due diligence process may include leveraging guidance from subject matter experts (SMEs) as appropriate. Following due diligence, the CCF team will make a funding recommendation to the President and CEO of VIPC, who has final approval authority. Applicants that are declined will be offered feedback and the reason(s) for that decision. The turnaround time for a typical application is expected to be 45-60 days.
An application will be evaluated on the following criteria:
VIPC reserves sole discretion to determine whether a particular applicant meets the definition of an eligible institution and to provide CCF funding to applicants that may not align exactly with this eligibility criteria. VIPC also reserves the right to run basic credit and background checks on individuals listed in the application. The program terms and conditions (T&Cs) provide full guidance.
VIPC also offers grant funding to Virginia’s public research colleges and universities to support their technology translation and commercialization efforts through the CCF entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) program and eminent researcher recruitment and retention (ERR) program.
The CCF EIR program provides grant funding to Virginia public research colleges and universities to help fund one or more seasoned entrepreneurs who will work with faculty and students to explore technology commercialization opportunities, with the goal of launching technology-driven startup companies. Applications will be accepted, reviewed, and awarded on a rolling basis. VIPC generally looks to coordinate EIR funding requests with the Associate Vice President overseeing the Technology Transfer Office and technology commercialization or an equivalent authority and expects EIR funding applications to be submitted by the institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs or equivalent authority.
The CCF ERR program provides grant funding to Virginia’s public research colleges and universities to support the recruitment and retention of top faculty researchers. Faculty members supported by this program should be engaged in technology research, development, and commercialization activities and the vision for the new hires or retained faculty must be for long-term, tenure-track employment. Applications will be accepted, reviewed, and awarded on a rolling basis. VIPC generally looks to coordinate ERR funding requests with the institution’s Vice President of Research or equivalent authority and expects ERR funding applications to be submitted by the institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs or equivalent authority.
VIPC reserves sole discretion to determine whether a particular applicant meets the definition of an eligible institution and to provide CCF funding to applicants that may not align exactly with this eligibility criteria. VIPC also reserves the right to run basic credit and background checks on individuals listed in the application. The program terms and conditions (T&Cs) provide full guidance.