Month: August 2025

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Fall Flash Funding is Here!

Students provide CPR training to other students through CavsCARE, a 2025 flash grant recipient.

For the first time, flash funding is available this fall, designed to support short-term projects or immediate-use opportunities, often for student organizations. Flash grants are capped at $10,000 per grant and are awarded monthly until each semester’s $100,000 allocation is granted.

  • August Cycle: Apply by August 31 ➡️ Grants made September 15.
  • September Cycle: Opens on September 1 ➡️ Deadline: September 30 ➡️ Grants made on October 15.
  • Additional rounds are available as funding allows.

Visit our Grant Seekers webpage for full details. Apply early while funding is available.

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Major Cycle Updates

The Trust received twenty-four proposals, requesting $4.2 million, in our Fall Major Cycle. Submissions cover a range of topics, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and learning experiences for UVA students, through design builds, research, and symposia. Our Proposals Committee is currently reviewing proposals in advance of the final round of in-person pitches.

If you missed the Fall Major Cycle, now is a great time to begin working on your Letter of Inquiry (LOI) for the spring cycle. See the Major Cycle timeline and additional details on our grant seekers webpage.

As always, we are available to discuss your potential project and answer any funding questions. Contact our Director of Grants, Amy Bonner, for more.

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Grant Projects in the News

Local students learn masonry skills at a Facilities Management Community Connections workshop. Photo credit: Matt Riley.

Our grantees have been busy! Check out projects recently featured in the news:

  • The Facilities Management Community Connections Program, a workforce development initiative that exposes middle- and high-school students to careers in the skilled trades, was recently featured in UVA Today. This program received a grant in 2024.
  • The Trust was an early supporter of UVA Sawmilling. See the Sawmilling team’s recent work in this UVA Today.
  • The Mechatronics and Robotics Society (MARS at UVA) recently competed at NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge, a robotics design competition for college students. Read more about their success in this UVA Engineering feature. MARS received a grant earlier this year to build a simulated lunar surface arena.
  • UVA Today and NBC29 News recently featured the work of Zack Landsman and Junk Labz, a 2023 grant recipient.

Follow the Trust on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date on grant news.

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New Podcast Alert!

Pilot Projects cover art by Carina Velocci

Sound on Grounds, a 2025 grant recipient, has recently launched “Pilot Projects: From Seed to Story,” sharing the stories of Jefferson Trust grant recipients. Listen here or search “Pilot Projects” on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

“Pilot Projects” is from the UVA Library Sound on Grounds team that aims to expand student access to podcasting resources and support creative development at UVA. This series was created in collaboration with WTJU’s Virginia Audio Collective.