The Jefferson Trust has awarded $115,558 across 19 flash grants since January.
“We received 52 proposals in our January round and 64 in February; mostly from students. This volume speaks to the activity, engagement, and innovation of the UVA student body, as well as their drive to define their student experience”, says Brent Percival, Executive Director.
New student learning experiences are a key theme this year. Whether providing hands-on learning through the Prometheus Hybrid Rocket Motor Project, Hands-on Design Build, or Bits & Bytes to opportunities for professional development with the UVA Speaking Center and Caminos Brillantes Initiative, students at UVA are pursuing new ways to engage and learn.
Different than the Trust’s Annual Cycle grants, Flash Funding grants are capped at $10,000 per project and are awarded monthly beginning in January.
The 2025 Flash Grants:
Hypersonic ReEntry Deployable Glider Experiment (HEDGE): $10,000
Students in the School of Engineering will build and collect data on hypersonic reentry dynamics from a CubeSAT launch this summer at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility.
Prometheus Hybrid Rocket Motor Project: $10,000
The UVA Rocketry team will design, manufacture, and fly a Student-Researched and Developed (SRAD) propulsion device, with plans to compete at the International Rocket Engineering Competition.
UVA Speaking Center: $9,020
The UVA Speaking Center is a resource to help UVA students become effective public speakers through individual consultations and workshops.
Caminos Brillantes Initiative: $3,479.59
Cultural Latinx Advancement for Resources and Opportunities (CLARO) provides professional development resources and opportunities through workshops.
Hands-on Design-Build: Constructing at Scale within the Curriculum: $9,000
Undergraduate Architecture students will construct a timber structure, gaining critical skills in timber building, construction detailing, and material sourcing.
Bits and Bytes: $9,735
This interdisciplinary course teaches the history of vampires in video games, learning the basics of programming and the history of vampires in this medium.
Striving Toward Academic Readiness (STAR): $9,969.40
UVA students are helping local underserved high school students demystify the college experience and build confidence through seminar-style classes, mentor sessions, and discussions.
Advancing BAPS and Associated Systems Engineering Projects at the University of Virginia: $7,000
Become a Problem-Solver (BAPS) seeks to apply systems engineering principles and problem-solving techniques to improve the operations of UVA service organizations.
Women’s Lifelong Wellness Initiative: $9,610
Students in the Department of Kinesiology are providing free, individualized health screenings, education, and lifestyle plans for women in the community to maintain a healthy lifestyle as they age.
Clean Plate Project: $4,040
Partnering with the Ronald McDonald House and the Yellow Door Foundation, this project hosts weekly cooking sessions and deliver meals to UVA Children’s Hospital patients and families.
UVA’s Inaugural Moot Court Competition: $9,000
Funding expands the UVA Law Moot Court and the American Moot Court resources to bolster interest and access in the UVA undergraduate community.
MKG 2025: Enabling Student Experimentation and Leadership: $1,572.69
Funding helps Morven Kitchen Garden increase farm production, community engagement, and student leadership opportunities through the expansion of gardening techniques and an improved compost system.
CavsCARE: CPR Training for Key UVA Groups: $6,000
UVA students who are CPR, AED, and First Aid certified trainers are volunteering their time to instruct and certify other students, expanding these lifesaving skills.
Biophilic Region Charlottesville and Albemarle County (CAC) Exhibition: $9,810
A team from the School of Architecture is working to establish central Virginia as a recognized Biophilic Region with abundant green spaces, integrated natural elements, support for biodiversity, sustainable urban practices, education, and community engagement. Funding helps publicly launch the project through an exhibition and community events.
This is Not a Debate Event Series: $3,161.95
This event series of student-led panels discusses issues in politics, ethics, and current events, designed to provide a model for productive political discussion.
Blossoming Chemistry: Beautifying the AXE Garden: $350
Presenting a living and learning experience in sustainability for students, funding helps rebuild a garden at the Alpha Chi Sigma house.
Chemistry Building Plants: $175
Bringing some biology into chemistry, this grant adds plants to work and study spaces in the Chemistry Building to make it a more comfortable space.
Dinners With Doctors: $2,904
From the Women in Medicine Initiative, the Dinners with Doctors series aims to connect students with women in medicine to build engagement, mentorship opportunities, and gain insights into the medical field.
50th Anniversary Concert: $730
Funding supports the Virginia Women’s Chorus 50th Anniversary Concert.