A method of fabricating a vertical field effect transistor (“FET”) is provided which includes a transistor body region and source and drain regions disposed in a single-crystal semiconductor-on-insulator (“SOI”) region of a substrate adjacent a sidewall of a trench. The substrate includes a buried insulator layer underlying the SOI region and a bulk region underlying the buried insulator layer. A buried strap conductively connects the SOI region to a lower node disposed below the SOI region and a body contact extends from the transistor body region to the bulk region of the substrate, the body contact being insulated from the buried strap.