Virginia Tech (the Hokies) is a public land-grant university serving the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world community. The discovery and dissemination of new knowledge are central to its mission. The university generated $321.7 million for research programs in fiscal year 2006, receiving more than 2,000 awards to conduct research. Support for these projects originates from an ever-expanding base of sponsors including a substantial number of defense and government agencies. This research led to 87 disclosures, 17 patents, and 20 licenses in calendar year 2005. Today, nearly 775 sponsors fund more than 3,500 active projects. These include 27 defense related sponsors supporting 138 projects for a total of more than $71M in active defense related research. Researchers pursue discoveries sponsored by Army Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Naval Air Systems Command, US Army Research Office, Office of Naval Research, US Army Medical Research Acquisitions, US Army Research Laboratory, and Defense Advanced Research Projects. Projects involve topics in biotechnology, information technologies and systems, communication and networking technology, transportation, energy management, and a wide range of other engineering, business, scientific, social science, and creative fields. The research of many of the 1361 faculty at Virginia Tech is consistent with the mission of TeamDSA partners and relevant to the tasks areas of the Encore II contract.

Through a combination of its three missions of teaching and learning, research and discovery, and outreach and engagement, Virginia Tech continually strives to accomplish the charge of its motto: Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).