Reflections on the NIEHS Virtual Consortium funding mechanism (ViCTER) and what it has taught us about the future of transdisciplinary science

In environmental health science, collaboration across disciplines is often encouraged but rarely specifically solicited through funding mechanisms. The United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Virtual Consortium for Translational/Transdisciplinary Environmental Research (ViCTER) program fostered and promoted early-stage transdisciplinary collaborations among basic, clinical, and population-based researchers in the environmental health field. ViCTER awards are typically three-year R01 grants that include at least one NIEHS-funded PI and engage partners from distinct disciplines or institutions. By design, ViCTER created space for scientifically diverse research teams, including epidemiologists, clinicians, toxicologists, molecular biologists, often across multiple institutions, to work side-by-side, not sequentially, to address complex environmental challenges. This commentary reflects on how ViCTER catalyzed scientific advances, transformed careers, and created a model for the future of translational environmental health research.