Technical Assistance Program (TAP)

Virginia Tech's Technical Assistance Program (TAP) enables faculty members to respond quickly to market needs requiring technical expertise and provides businesses with a streamlined process for accessing this knowledge. This is a university-sponsored consulting activity intended to strengthen university and faculty relationships with external organizations.

The faculty member and the company collaborate to define the scope of work. Specifically, a faculty member applies knowledge to a clearly defined process-related or technical situation and does NOT generate new knowledge or intellectual property. These activities are typically short in duration and do not exceed $50,000.

TAP basics:

The program bridges the gap between Virginia Tech’s world-class expertise and business innovation:

• Projects capped at $50,000.
• Short-duration engagements.
• Focus on applying existing knowledge to specific challenges.
• No new intellectual property generation.

Opportunities for faculty

TAP offers faculty members a unique platform to:

• Collaborate directly with companies to define project scope.
• Expand their professional impact beyond academia.
• Build relationships that can lead to future research collaborations.
• Support regional economic development.

Benefits for business

• Direct collaboration with Virginia Tech experts.
• Quick turnaround on technical needs.
• Cost-effective solutions.
• Simplified contractual and financial processes.

For more information, please contact Alyssa McKenney, Alyssa1@vt.edu, 540-231-9087.