Future of Work in Health Faculty Fellows Program
The Center for Future Work Places and Practices (CFWPP) and Destination Areas (DA) 2.0 Smart Healthcare Hub are pleased to announce the launch of the Future of Work in Health Faculty Fellows Program.
The Fellows will each advance their research in close collaboration with one of the Smart Healthcare Hub’s research teams, receive targeted mentorship from senior faculty in the Hub and CFWPP, and have access to research infrastructure at the Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine campus in Roanoke.
The Smart Healthcare Hub focuses on three core areas—(1) AI for human-centered health care delivery, (2) health care data privacy and cybersecurity, and (3) immersive simulation and gaming for clinical training and patient learning—each supported by the cross-cutting principles of systems thinking, AI/GenAI analysis, and human-centered design. In addition, we seek to develop a Naturalistic Clinical Interaction Database (NCID), using passive sensing in simulation.
The CFWPP promotes transdisciplinary research that brings together technology, design, policy, and economics to explore the future of work, workplaces, and work processes. The Smart Healthcare Hub complements this mission by focusing on the intersection of healthcare, technology, and human-centered systems. Together, these efforts support the CFWPP’s research areas targeting (1) workforce development, (2) the responsible use of technologies at work, and (3) the creation of sustainable, health-focused work environments.
We are looking for early- and mid-career faculty at Virginia Tech who would like to apply their disciplinary expertise to healthcare and the future of work in close collaboration with members of the Smart Healthcare Hub and CFWPP faculty.
Areas of Focus: Applicants must submit a 3-page proposal (excluding citations) using the template provided that clearly outlines how their proposed research advances (1) one of the Smart Healthcare Hub’s three focus areas or the development of the NCID and (2) one of the CFWPP’s three research areas.
Smart Healthcare Hub focus areas:
- AI as a tool for human-centered healthcare delivery: Creating frameworks for integrating AI into healthcare in a human-centered way.
- Healthcare data privacy and cybersecurity: Advancing privacy protections for sensitive, multimodal healthcare data.
- Immersive simulation and gaming as a tool for clinical training and patient learning: Using simulations, games, virtual environments, and other interactive media for training and education in healthcare.
- Naturalistic Clinical Interaction Database: Using simulation to develop a large scale database of naturalistic interactions to develop models of behaviors and processes in healthcare settings.
CFWPP research areas:
- Work Force Development
- Responsible Use of Technologies at Work
- Sustainable, Health-focused Work Environments
Applications should also explain clearly how their work will involve collaboration with members of the Smart Healthcare Hub and/or CFWPP and how the proposal’s goals are consistent with the three cross-cutting approaches that guide the Smart Healthcare Hub: (1) Systems thinking in healthcare, (2) AI and genAI analysis and insight, and (3) Human-Centered Design.
Priority consideration will be given to proposals that are likely to lead to significant external funding or significant external recognition (e.g., scholarly publications in premier venues, keynote lectures, successful collaborative efforts with leading institutions in the focus areas, broader community outreach) for the Smart Healthcare Hub and CFWPP.
Required Materials: Proposal (3 pages + citations); CV (no more than 4 pages).
Deadline: All materials must be submitted using this Google form by 5pm Eastern time on November 30, 2025.
The Future of Work in Health Faculty Fellows will each receive $10,000 in overhead funds that can be used to buy out teaching, provide summer salary support, hire a graduate student, purchase equipment, etc.
The Future of Work in Health Faculty Fellows are expected to engage in the following activities during the 2026 calendar year:
- Be an active member on one of the three Smart Healthcare Hub’s research teams.
- Serve as a member of the CFWPP Executive Committee and attend monthly meetings during the academic year.
- Present their research at the 2026 CFWPP spring networking event (April/May) and at a planned AI and Health Conference held at Virginia Tech's Academic Building One in Alexandria (Fall 2026).
- Submit at least one research proposal developed in partnership with a member of the Smart Healthcare Hub and/or CFWPP to an external funding agency to advance and scale the work conducted as a Faculty Fellow.
- Engage undergraduate and graduate students in research.
- Promote Virginia Tech’s land-grant university mission.
Potential applicants are welcome to ask questions and seek guidance about alignment of their proposal goals with the CFWPP’s research areas by contacting the center’s Acting Director Ralph Hall.
Potential applicants can seek guidance about the alignment of their proposal goals with Smart Healthcare Hub’s initiatives by contacting the leads:
- AI as a tool for human-centered health care delivery: Nick Rider
- Health care data privacy and cybersecurity: Denis Gracanin
- Immersive simulation and gaming as a tool for clinical training and patient learning: Jimmy Ivory
- Naturalistic Clinical Interaction Database: Sarah Parker