Legislatively Mandated Units

Virginia Water Resources Research Center ‑ Established in 1965 under the federal Water Resources Research Act of 1964 in cooperation with state governments, the center began operating in 1966. It is a state agency administered by Tech’s Research Division. It has suffered a sharp decline in state support.

Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research - Established in 1977 by the General Assembly as the Virginia Center for Energy Research (later renamed the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research), the center evolved from the University Center for Energy Research created by the board of visitors in 1974.

Virginia Center for Housing Research - The center was formed in 1989 by an act of the General Assembly.

Virginia Tech Museum of Natural History - The Virginia Museum of Natural History was created by an act of the General Assembly in 1990 to preserve and conserve Virginia’s natural history resources, to conduct research, and to educate the citizenry about the natural history of the commonwealth. The headquarters museum is located in Martinsville. Severe budget problems in the commonwealth forced the closure of the Virginia Tech branch in 2001.