UCF-Led VERA project reaches 2 major milestones for VR research

Story by UCF 

June 30, 2026

The Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA), a U.S. National Science Foundation-funded platform designed to advance the pace and scope of immersive research, has launched its first large-scale remote study and awarded its first use grant to address key challenges in VR and immersive learning.

The University of Central Florida is marking a major advance in virtual reality research with two key milestones from its Virtual Experience Research Accelerator (VERA), a national platform designed to scale immersive studies.

Funded by a $5 million National Science Foundation grant, VERA enables researchers to design and conduct large-scale VR and augmented reality studies with remote participants, significantly expanding reach while reducing costs and logistical barriers. The platform has now launched its first large-scale study and awarded its first research use grant—two steps that signal its shift from development to real-world impact.

The inaugural study tackles cybersickness, a common obstacle to VR adoption that can cause nausea, dizziness and discomfort. Led by UCF Associate Professor Gerd Bruder, the research leverages VERA’s remote capabilities to rapidly gather data at an unprecedented scale. In just 15 days, more than 250 participants completed the study, far surpassing traditional lab-based efforts that might take months to reach similar numbers. Early findings indicate significant differences in how individuals experience symptoms, insights that could help improve VR accessibility across fields such as healthcare, training and education.

VERA’s first Use Grant has been awarded to researchers at San José State University, who will study how people engage with immersive technologies to improve learning experiences. The project will collect detailed behavioral and interaction data from participants across libraries, universities and community spaces, with the goal of shaping more effective and accessible VR-based education models.

Together, these milestones position VERA as a powerful new tool for accelerating research and unlocking the full potential of immersive technologies across industries.

Learn more about how UCF is leading the future of technology-driven education and how research and knowledge generate innovation.