Collaborate

Connecting People. Creating Impact.

Collaboration is at the core of the Link Lab's approach to advancing cyber-physical systems research. By bringing together faculty, students, industry, government, and community partners, we foster interdisciplinary collaborations that accelerate discovery, prepare the next generation of innovators, and create solutions with lasting real-world impact.

  • group photo of students, faculty in the Link Lab Arena

    Discipline-Based Collaboration

    The Link Lab fosters collaboration across seven engineering disciplines, bringing together diverse expertise to solve complex cyber-physical systems challenges.

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    University Collaboration

    The Link Lab partners with researchers across UVA schools and the health system, as well as universities worldwide to advance interdisciplinary research and address complex societal challenges through cyber-physical systems.

  • image of people at a reception talking in groups in Link Lab Arena

    Industry Partnerships

    Industry partners collaborate with the Link Lab to accelerate innovation, translate research into practice, and engage with faculty and students. Some opportunities include collaborative research, student recruiting opportunities, guest speaking, participating on our Industry Advisory Board, and more.   

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    Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Collaborations

    The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) is Virginia’s initiative for cybersecurity research, innovation, and workforce development. UVA Engineering researchers collaborate internally, as well as across Virginia to advance research in cybersecurity and cyber-physical systems.

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    Government Partnerships

    By collaborating with government agencies, the Link Lab connects academic innovation with national priorities, advancing impactful research in robotics, smart and connected health, smart cities, and hardware for the Internet of Things.

  • A group of students gathers in a technology lab around a small humanoid robot positioned on the floor. Two students crouch beside the robot while another stands nearby, and several others watch from across the room. The lab contains large display screens, cameras mounted on the walls, lighting equipment, office chairs, and storage cabinets. Gray patterned carpet covers the floor, and boxes and robotics equipment are visible in the background.

    Community Partnerships

    The Link Lab is committed to inspiring the next generation of engineers through partnerships with local schools, nonprofit organizations, and community programs. Our faculty and students share their expertise through mentoring, outreach, research demos, and hands-on learning experiences.

    Link Lab - Charlottesville High School Mentorship Program Additional Community Partnerships

UVA-Wide Technical Support and Collaboration

The Mobile AI for People Lab (MAP Lab), formerly The Digital Technology Core, is based out of the Link Lab and provides UVA researchers with the expertise, infrastructure, and collaborative technical support needed to accelerate innovative digital technology research, and helps enhance competitiveness for major research funding. For details or to leverage this resource for your project, contact MAP Lab at [email protected].

Mobile, AI, & People Lab (MAP Lab)

Collaboration Spotlights

Multi-Department Collaboration

Last year, Link Lab faculty convened monthly around the Lab’s four core research themes to foster collaboration. One tangible outcome of these meetings was the development of a seed grant proposal led by three faculty members: Afsaneh Doryab (Systems Engineering), Homa Alemzadeh (Electrical & Computer Engineering), and Somayeh Asadi (Civil & Environmental Engineering). Their interdisciplinary project, “Toward Intelligent, Privacy-Preserving Mental-Health Support Systems for Low-Connectivity Rural Communities,” reflects the collaborative spirit and impact of these efforts.

Toyota Research Institute

Toyota Research Institute has awarded Yen-Ling Kuo a grant to support her research: "Interaction-Aware Representation Learning for Human-AI Interactive Driving". This project aims to create methods to learn meaningful interaction-aware representations for human-robot teams. The learned representation will be employed to augment human-vehicle/robot interactions, such as shared control and explanations.

UVA School of Education

The Link Lab collaborates with Professor Jennie Chiu in the UVA School of Education and Human Development to advance K–12, undergraduate, and graduate engineering education. Through collaborative efforts on grant proposals and interdisciplinary partnerships, the Link Lab connects engineering research with innovative learning experiences to broaden STEM learning and engagement.

High School Mentorship

The Link Lab–Charlottesville High School (CHS) Mentorship Program connects Link Lab students with local high school students through hands-on engineering mentorship and project-based learning. Mentors provide technical guidance, project management support, and encouragement while helping students develop critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. Through structured mentoring activities and one-on-one interactions, students gain valuable insight into both engineering research and the engineering design process.

San Diego State University

The Link Lab has partnered with San Diego State University on a five-year National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) grant to focus on smart construction. Building on UVA’s expertise in interdisciplinary graduate education, the initiative will prepare 135 master’s students through collaborative coursework, research, and industry partnerships focused on creating safer, smarter, and more sustainable infrastructure.

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Virginia Universities

Researchers in the Link Lab are advancing the security and resilience of critical infrastructure through innovative interdisciplinary collaborations. One example is the work of faculty member Qiaochu Zhang, who is partnering with researchers at George Mason University through a 4-VA grant to develop next-generation sensing technologies that integrate cybersecurity protections directly into hardware systems. This approach helps strengthen infrastructure security by addressing vulnerabilities at their source.

Interested in Collaborating with the Link Lab?

Whether you are exploring a research partnership, seeking faculty expertise, interested in connecting with students for jobs or internships, or looking to connect with the Link Lab community, we would love to hear from you.

Interested in partnering with the Link Lab but not sure where to start? We would be happy to connect you with the appropriate resources or collaborators.

  • Community Partnerships
    If you represent a local community organization and are interested in engaging with the Link Lab, please contact Jennifer Burman.
  • Research, Education & Industry Collaborations
    For all other collaboration opportunities, including research partnerships, industry engagement, student programs, and faculty connections, please contact Kelley Tobler.