Established in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1996 by the Van Andel family, VAI is now home to more than 650 scientists, educators and support staff, who work with a growing number of national and international collaborators to foster discovery. Located on the banks of the Grand River, Grand Rapids offers all the big-city excitement you'd expect from a million-resident metropolis, featuring hundreds of restaurants and nightspots, theaters, museums, sports and concerts.