Vanderbilt selects former NSF engineering leader to accelerate research growth
Margulies will also be a professor of biomedical engineering within Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering.
Vanderbilt University has named Susan Margulies, a former leader at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), as its new vice provost for research and innovation.
The appointment, which becomes official on June 1, brings a prominent engineering and innovation expert to Nashville at a time when research institutions are competing to expand their national footprint and attract new federal and industry partnerships.
“Susan Margulies is a world-renowned scholar and leader whose career reflects the full arc of research excellence—from foundational discovery to real-world impact,” said Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver. “Her deep understanding of the federal research enterprise, her success building ambitious cross-sector partnerships, and her commitment to supporting researchers at every stage make her uniquely suited to lead Vanderbilt’s next era of innovation and discovery.”
Margulies previously served as assistant director of the NSF Directorate for Engineering, which provides more than 40 percent of federal funding for fundamental engineering research at academic institutions. She managed an annual budget of nearly $800 million and a team of more than 150, leading to the launch of new funding mechanisms to support high-risk, high-reward projects that expand engineering frontiers.
She also held a distinguished professorship in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, a joint department of the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University.
In her new role, Margulies will guide Vanderbilt’s vision for research growth, champion sponsored projects, and accelerate the path from discovery to commercialization. She will work closely with campus leadership to cultivate partnerships with funding agencies, foundations, and private industry, supporting broader regional efforts to strengthen innovation-driven economic development.
Since its inception in 2016, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation has grown from a small team focused only on biomedical research to a staff of more than 200 who support approximately $1 billion in annual R&D expenditure across all 11 schools and colleges.
“As vice provost, my focus will be on strengthening the systems, partnerships, and catalysts that allow faculty and teams to pursue bold ideas and move them efficiently from concept to funding to implementation to impact,” Margulies said.
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