Publication/Policy/Patent Assistance and Collaboration for Emerging Researchers (PACER) Grant

The VSU PACER Grant (BOR Referendum No. 22, s. 2025) is designed to establish a structured mentorship collaboration by pairing an early-career researcher with a complementary senior or experienced faculty researcher (PACER) through a “buddy system.” This initiative aims to facilitate the development and completion of scholarly outputs with strong potential for publication, policy contribution, patenting, or other forms of intellectual property.

An ECR may include faculty members with stalled manuscripts, completed but unpublished projects across research, extension, and innovation (REI), or other related outputs that require targeted support, technical refinement, or collaborative engagement to advance toward publication or formal registration.

The senior researcher (‘PACER’)—with a track record of Scopus-indexed publications, registered patents (or other IPs), or approved policies—will serve as a close mentor and collaborator, setting the pace until the ECR achieves a publication, policy approval, or patent. In the end, the PACER is remunerated for their mentorship role without being included in the authorship.

Overall, the PACER Grant aims to:

• Foster a culture of mentorship and collaboration among VSU faculty researchers through a structured and dynamic buddy system.
• Strengthen collaborative engagement between PACER mentors and early-career researchers (ECRs) to accelerate the publication and formal registration of REI outputs.
• Increase the production of Scopus-indexed publications, policy-relevant outputs, patents, and other forms of intellectual property in alignment with VSU’s strategic priorities.

For detailed application guidelines and requirements, please click here. To enable access, please go to accounts.google.com and ensure you are signed in with your VSU Google account.

To streamline the application process, please ensure compliance with the following minimum requirements:

• Content of the Letter: The ECR’s letter must clearly indicate the proposed manuscript title and the target Scopus-indexed journal for submission. A brief abstract should also be included in the application letter.
• Address and Endorsements: The letter should be addressed to the Office of the President (OP) through the Office of the Vice President for Research, Extension, and Innovation (OVPREI). It must be duly signed by both the ECR and the PACER mentor, and endorsed by the ECR’s Department Head and Dean, or the Director, as applicable.
• Format and Template: The letter must conform to the standard communication template prescribed by the ECR’s respective unit.
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