The Virtual Research Library began as a collaboration between the Nepalese Association of Palliative Care (NAPCare) and the University of Virginia School of Nursing and Center for Global Health to build research capacity in Nepal (and similar countries). The below text is from the original VRL's "About Us webpage:

"The goal of the Virtual Library is to provide open-access resources and tools that are useful to support clinical research in low-and-middle income countries. A particular focus of the Virtual Library is mobile health (mHealth) and non-communicable disease (NCD) research, as these are important priorities in many low and middle income countries.  The funding for this project comes from a grant from the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health.  Within the Virtual Library, you will find resources that are relevant for individuals; their organization/institution; and also on a national/government level."

In July 2023, with the grant coming to an end, members of the NAPCare team approached the Health Sciences Library about finding a solution that would ensure the VRL's continued online existence; this LibGuide is the result.