VTTI conducts studies in various locations across the country, and most studies provide modest compensation. All participation is voluntary and participants may withdraw at any time.
To learn more about participation in our research studies, please call 540-231-1583 and leave a message or complete this form.
Please note that, by completing the form, you are not agreeing to participate in any particular study. You are simply submitting your name and information for contact by a VTTI research team member when recruiting for a study. Any information you provide will remain confidential and will not be shared with others outside of VTTI.
Specific Studies
VTTI is seeking healthy individuals aged 21 to 65 with valid U.S. driver's licenses to participate in a research study. The study involves participating in one session, during the daytime, lasting approximately 2.5 hours.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate how driving experience impacts general driving performance and the level of effort needed to perform basic driving tasks in an electric vehicle equipped with advanced technology. Eligible participants will be asked to drive an electric research vehicle on a closed-to-the-public test course at VTTI.
Participants will drive on a course that mimics an urban environment at speeds up to 40mph. Participants will encounter one other vehicle operated by trained VTTI staff on or near the road, similar to real-world driving scenarios. Participants will be asked to perform typical driving maneuvers, such as changing lanes, and to provide their impressions and feedback on the maneuvers.
A trained experimenter will be present in the vehicle throughout the entirety of the session. The vehicle is equipped with data collection equipment which records video and audio data. All data will be kept strictly confidential.
Prior to the drive portion, participants will complete paperwork, and a simple vision and hearing assessment. The paperwork is expected to take 20-30 minutes and the driving portion about 2 hours for a total participation of 2.5 hours.
This study provides compensation of $125 for full participation, with a MasterCard.
To learn more, contact 540-231-2308 or drivers@vtti.vt.edu and reference the "Stingray" study in the message. (IRB #22-300)
Do you drive a newer vehicle in the Northern Virginia or Washington D.C. area? Or the Denver, Colorado, or Seattle, Washington, area?
VTTI is looking for drivers of the following vehicles with modern technology, specifically, adaptive cruise control and lane centering, to participate in a research study.
- Ford Mach-E (2021 or newer)
- Honda CR-V (2023 or newer)
- Kia Sportage (2023 or newer)
- Subaru Outback (2023 or newer)
- Tesla Model 3 with FSD (2021 or newer)
- Toyota Corolla Cross (2023 or newer)
For an initial 6-month enrollment period, your total maximum compensation for participating 6 months and completing all study tasks is $1,100. Participation is confidential (IRB 22-908).
Interested? Unsure if your vehicle qualifies?
- Phone: 540-231-1583
- Text: 540-231-2125
- Email: DaisyStudy@vtti.vt.edu
Reference the “VTTI Daisy” study in your message, along with your city, state, and vehicle type. Visit the Daisy study website to learn more.
VTTI is currently seeking individuals who:
- Are ages 18 and above;
- Have a valid Class A or B Commercial Driver's License (CDL);
- Drive a commercial motor vehicle such as a tractor-trailer or bus as part of their job;
- Are willing to participate in a study in Blacksburg, Virginia; and
- Are able to read and complete questionnaires.
If you meet the above requirements and are interested in hearing about future research opportunities involving truck drivers, please complete this form. Any information you provide will remain confidential and will not be shared with others outside of VTTI.
VTTI is asking for help to learn about heavy vehicle maintenance for trucks and buses; we are compensating individuals $50 to complete an online survey. The survey can be completed, anytime, at your convenience. Our goal is to document best practices for fleet maintenance so that everyone in the industry may benefit from the knowledge collected. Neither the company nor individual names will be published, just the data on how often maintenance and maintenance training occur.
This is a national online survey. We are asking truck and bus fleet and maintenance managers or owners to complete the survey. The first step is to determine if your fleet is a good fit for this study. To do this, we need to ask seven screening questions. If we determine your fleet is a good fit, we will follow up in five business days with the online survey via email.
Is this something you/your company would be interested in participating in? To see if you qualify: call Kary at 540-231-2040 or fill out the screening survey.
VTTI is currently seeking individuals who:
- Are ages 21 and above
- Have a valid Class-A or Class-B Commercial Driver's License (CDL-A or CDL-B)
- Actively drive a large truck such as a tractor-trailer, straight truck, construction type of truck, etc. as part of their job
- Willing to drive in a simulator located in Blacksburg, Virginia, not on roadways
- Are not prone to motion sickness
Participation includes coming to VTTI for 2 separate sessions, scheduled on different days (4 hours each). Compensation of up to $500 will be provided for full participation.
If you, or someone you know, meet the above requirements, and are interested in hearing more about this study, please call 540-231-1583 or email, CDLdrivers@vtti.vt.edu and mention the "Automated Truck" study.
Any information provided will remain confidential and will not be shared with others outside of VTTI. (IRB #21-827)