>

Ignite Tech Development Grants

Resources

LIVE Ignite Tech Development Grants offer an intense burst of development support from LIVE’s research engineer to bring powerful ideas for innovative learning technologies to life or help existing tools take bold new steps forward. Proposals should outline the conceptual value of the project (how will the imagined technology support needed kinds of learning in innovative ways), pragmatic goals (what is the current state of the technology now and what is the desired state to be achieved) and demonstrate the feasibility of completion of the project within the allotted time.

LIVE Technical Capabilities

LIVE’s Research Engineer has industry and academic experience in backend web applications and cloud infrastructures, is proficient in various programming languages and available to assist with building a range of applications and services, including graphical applications that integrate technologies such as cloud computing, AR/VR, eye tracking, and generative AI. Their specific skill set includes:

  • Software design/development (using C#, Rust, Python, JavaScript)
  • Cross-platform graphical applications made with the Unity game engine
  • Augmented/Virtual Reality
  • Full stack web applications
  • Server hosting/management with cloud providers
  • Generative AI applications

Additional Resources

LIVE Ignite Tech Development Grant awardees will have access to additional in-kind resources as applicable to increase project success, including:

  • Speciality hardware and software (Tobii Pro 3 eye tracking glasses & analysis software, VR/AR equipment)
  • Newly renovated facilities in the 17th & Horton building (including team workspaces, Human Interaction Viewpoint and Embodiment (HIVE) Lab, EngageAI Classroom of the Future, IDEA Lab, and Meta VR Cave)
  • LIVE’s network of diverse learning technology, product development and social entrepreneurship expertise

Evaluation Criteria

  1. Significance & Originality: How important is the learning challenge being addressed? How promising and novel is the approach to addressing it?
  2. Advancement & Feasibility: Does the project propose a significant but achievable advance in the state of the learning technology? Do the project needs align with the available capabilities of the technical team?
  3. Impact: How likely is the technology to significantly advance learning practices and/or outcomes? Does the project demonstrate a commitment to ensuring that the solution is accessible and beneficial to a broad spectrum of learners?
  4. Research Potential: What is the potential for this technology to support, enable, or become the focus of learning technology research, either through current applications or future opportunities?
  5. Scalability & Sustainability: What is the potential for widespread use and impact? Does the project outline a clear path for continuation or expansion beyond the grant period?

Eligibility & Terms

  • Vanderbilt faculty, research scientists, postdocs, and graduate and undergraduate students from all of Vanderbilt’s Colleges or Schools are eligible to apply.
  • Applicants can submit multiple proposals; however, it is strongly recommended that they focus their efforts on a single proposal. By concentrating on one proposal, applicants can dedicate more time and resources to ensure it is of the highest possible quality, well-developed and competitive.
  • By accepting a LIVE Ignite Tech Development Grant, awardees agree to commit to timely communications with LIVE development team on feature requests, deliverables and feedback via a set of mutually agreed project management practices, where both parties respond to inquiries within 2 workdays.
  • Project support will end on the agreed upon timeline, extensions are not generally available.
  • Preference will be given to applicants with a documented history of active involvement in the LIVE community and who have not received an Ignite grant previously.
  • Ignite grant recipients are expected to share the outcomes of the award with the LIVE community in the LIVE Innovation Series.
  • Grants can not be extended past the award deadline.

Any external funding or industry partnerships arising based on work from Ignite Grants must be coordinated in collaboration with LIVE

Intellectual Property in Ignite Tech Development Grants

Ignite Tech Development Grants involve creative contributions from LIVE’s Research Engineer and some number of Vanderbilt faculty, students, and/or staff. When graduate or undergraduate students are involved, intellectual property (IP) arising from the project will be jointly owned by the student(s) and Vanderbilt, with apportionment of ownership rights determined by the relative contributions made. For projects involving only Vanderbilt faculty and staff, the resulting IP will be fully owned by Vanderbilt and governed by Vanderbilt’s Policy on Technology and Literary and Artistic Works. For more information about IP at Vanderbilt, see the IP Policies shared on the Tech Transfer website.

2025 Ignite Tech Development Grant Cycle

  • Important Dates
    • September 5 – Grant announced
    • September 26 – Proposals due
    • October 13 – Awards announced
  • Proposal Submission Process

    Submit your application materials here

    • Title
    • Abstract (max 100 words)
    • Project Description (max 500 words, upload as PDF)
      • Learning Challenge and Approach: Describe the learning challenge of interest, why it is important and make a compelling case for the promise of your innovative approach to addressing it.
      • Development Vision and Goals: Outline your overall vision for the technology, its current status, and specific development goals for this grant, including potential research applications. Highlight existing capabilities and limitations and explain how this project will advance the technology to the next stage.
      • Next Steps: Describe your plans to continue your efforts post grant. What will the development advance allow you to do that was not possible before (e.g. pilot testing, grant applications or other)?
      • Eventual Impact:Explain how the technology will transform learning practices and demonstrate its potential for widespread use. Discuss any commitments to providing benefits to a diverse learner population.
    • Work Plan (max 250 words, upload as PDF)
      • Identify tasks to be completed and required skills to complete them, provide an anticipated timeline, including # of hours desired per week, with development phases and key deliverables for each phase. The maximum possible support provided is 1 person-month (160 hours).

For any questions regarding LIVE Ignite Tech Develop Grants please email LIVE@vanderbilt.edu

Recent News