Key Takeaways
- The University of Vermont won a federal award of up to $38 million to build artificial intelligence "digital twins" of critically ill patients, its largest research grant ever.
- The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and supports a model that lets clinicians test treatments on a patient's AI twin before using them on the patient.
- Researchers believe the approach could cut the length of intensive care unit stays by 25 percent.
The University of Vermont has received a federal award of up to $38 million to build AI "digital twins" of critically ill patients, the largest research grant in the school's history, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and aimed at testing treatments on a digital model before doctors try them on people.
What the records show
The University of Vermont announced the award on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at a campus event. The grant, worth up to $38 million, funds the development of an artificial intelligence twin of an individual patient, allowing doctors to evaluate potential treatment strategies on the twin before administering them to the actual patient. Trauma surgeon Dr. Gary An leads the research.
A digital twin is a computer model that stands in for a specific patient, so doctors can try a treatment on the model and watch what happens before trying it on the person. For patients who are too fragile for trial and error, that rehearsal is the point of the project. The University of Vermont said the goal is to let clinicians evaluate treatment strategies on the twin first, then use what works on the patient.
University of Vermont President Marlene Tromp cast the award as a marker of the school's rise.
It reinforces UVM's role as a leading research university dedicated to improving lives
The award is UVM's largest research grant ever, according to VTDigger. It arrived about a week after the university received a separate $19 million grant to build a national neuroscience observatory, and nearly two years after UVM earned R1 status in 2025, the highest designation a research university can receive. Together, the two recent awards bring roughly $57 million in new federal research funding to the university within about one week.
Why it matters
The money targets intensive care, among the most expensive care a hospital provides. If the digital twins let doctors rehearse treatments on a model before using them on a patient, researchers believe the approach could reduce the length of ICU stays by 25 percent, which would ease both patient risk and hospital cost. Shorter stays would also free intensive care beds, which are limited and in heavy demand, for the next patients who need them.
The award also signals scale for the state. A public university that reached top-tier R1 research status only in 2025 has now won its largest research grant ever and, counting the earlier $19 million neuroscience award, about $57 million in new federal funding within roughly a week. That shifts where advanced medical research can happen, not only to the largest coastal centers. A grant of this size also brings staff, equipment and years of work to Burlington, and it gives the university a national project to build its next round of funding around.
People Also Ask
What is an AI "digital twin" of a patient?
An AI digital twin is a computer model of an individual patient. The University of Vermont's $38 million project will build these twins so clinicians can test treatment strategies on the model before using them on the critically ill patient.
How much did the University of Vermont receive?
The University of Vermont received a federal award of up to $38 million from the U.S. Department of Health, the largest research grant in the university's history, announced on September 30, 2026.
What could the AI twins achieve?
Researchers at the University of Vermont believe the AI digital twins could reduce the length of intensive care unit stays by 25 percent by letting doctors evaluate treatments on the model first.
Is $38 million the only recent grant for UVM?
No. The $38 million award came about a week after the University of Vermont received a separate $19 million grant to build a national neuroscience observatory, roughly $57 million in new federal research funding within about one week.