The Jefferson Trust has awarded $761,000 to support five new initiatives across the University of Virginia.
“These grants are indicative of a leap forward for UVA and the Trust, said Brent Percival, Executive Director of the Jefferson Trust. “In this cycle, Trustees awarded their largest grant ever at $360,000 which we hope will propel UVA forward in the field of artificial intelligence.”
Experiential learning and research are central to all five funded projects, reflecting the Trust’s continued commitment to student impact.
The 2026 Spring Major Cycle Grants:
AI Research Initiative @ UVA: $360,000
This initiative aims to revise UVA’s research enterprise by embedding advanced AI skills and tools across all disciplines, positioning UVA as an AI research leader, building AI research infrastructure, and fostering cross-school research collaboration.
Pre-Med Student Shadowing and Mentoring Pilot Program: $113,600
Offering a hybrid learning approach with virtual and in-person clinical experiences, this program will offer undergraduate students interested in medical careers exposure to clinical reasoning, patient interaction, and medical culture.
Baby Cavs Express: $188,000
Funding helps early developmental screenings for Autism and Cerebral Palsy go mobile, offering screenings and support to underserved communities, removing access barriers and providing hands-on training for UVA trainees.
High Knob Explorers: $50,000
In partnership with Virginia State Parks and the City of Norton, this UVA Wise environmental education project plans to create STEM learning experiences at the High Knob Destination Center.
A view from High Knob in southwest Virginia.
Pilot Trial for Patients on VV ECMO for ARDS: $49,700
This research study aims to improve outcomes for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and mechanical ventilation patients, while generating preliminary data to support future NIH funding.
The Trust has awarded more than $111,000 across 17 flash grants since February, supporting student-led initiatives that expand learning beyond the classroom.
This cycle highlights a strong emphasis on experiential learning in healthcare, including projects such as Medical Device Make-a-Thon; Cavalimbs; and Virginia Healthcare Consulting. Grants also support creative and cultural engagement through initiatives like Arts in Wise; Theatre, Translation, and Global Exchange; and Flash Tiny Desk Lawn Concerts.
Different than the Trust’s Major Cycle grants, Flash Grants are capped at $10,000 per project and are awarded monthly in the fall and spring.
The 2026 Spring Flash Grants:
Virginia Healthcare Consulting: $7,055 UVA’s first dedicated healthcare consulting program will combine education, real-world consulting experience, and industry exposure through healthcare consulting projects, a speaker series, and UVA’s first healthcare-focused case competition.
Cavalimbs: $3,335 Funding helps Cavalimbs design and build a prosthetic arm, with the goal of offering a solution that can be implemented on real patients at UVA Health.
Medical Device Make-a-Thon: $10,000 Students will design and prototype low-cost medical devices that address healthcare needs for underserved communities, connecting healthcare challenges and theory with real-world clinical needs.
Art in Wise: $10,000 Funding helps develop a series of visual arts workshops for k-12 students and adults in the community, increasing accessibility and engagement.
Theatre, Translation, and Global Exchange: Learning Laboratory at UVA: $6,490 “Theatre, Translation, and Global Exchange” brings Argentine playwright Rubén Mosquera and actresses Sol Leone Martens and Griselda Milagros Mongia to Grounds for a bilingual residency aimed at engaging students through performance-based language learning, public performances, and developing an English translation of a new Argentine play.
Flash Tiny Desk Lawn Concerts: $1,000 Tiny Desk Lawn Concerts will host free student band concerts on the Lawn this spring open to any student or person passing by.
SEED Consulting: $667 SEED Consulting, one of UVA’s undergraduate consulting organizations, will host a Presentation Showcase & Competition to accelerate the growth of their newest members and celebrate them.
CalmSphere: VR Prototype for Wellness and Mental Health: $6,309.88 CalmSphere is a student-built virtual wellness tool, offering students access to guided breathing, calming visuals, and reflective prompts creating a low-pressure space to mentally reset.
FCAP Structural Intake Validation: $10,000 A study at the Fried Center for Advancement Potential will help validate clinical screening methods, building a structural screening tool for broader clinical use.
Roots on the Road: $10,000 UVA Students are biking across America to meet with farmers, chefs, truck drivers, and everyday eaters to raise awareness that agriculture is everyone’s responsibility through short videos, a mini-docuseries, and a children’s story book.
Students bike in preparation for their Roots on the Road ride across the country.
Restorative Justice at UVA (RJ at UVA): $9,840 Partnering with Community Justice of Central Virginia, UVA students will be trained in restorative justice practices, focusing on facilitation and conflict resolution, then working with local youth on conflict-navigation skills.
MedAscend: $8,400 MedAscend aims to provide local high-school youth with STEM and college preparation resources by offering regular STEM events, college prep sessions, and mentorship from UVA undergraduates.
AI Mixer: Conversations on AI, Society & Culture: $1,250 Through small-group discussions, faculty lightening talks, and hands-on demonstrations of AI tools, this event brings together UVA undergraduates, grad students, and faculty to engage critically with the societal and cultural implications of AI.
ChemE Cube Club at UVA: $10,000 This student-led project plans to design and build a fully operational chemical plant model for the AIChE ChemE Cube Competition, applying chemical engineering principles to real-world problems and establishing a new student organization on Grounds.
From Research to Living Rooms: Family Literacy Resources: $9,600 In partnership with McGuffey Reading Services, graduate students in the School of Education will research and develop accessible materials to help families support children’s reading.
Machine Learning @ UVA: $4,620 This student-led machine learning organization aims to offer experiential, project-based AI education accessible to undergraduates of all majors.
Sol/Luna: $2,489 From the School of Architecture Student Council, Sol/Luna offers an active learning experience to create long-term impact: designing and building two respite pods for students, encouraging mindfulness, a healthy studio approach, and improving mental well-being for students.
Catch-up on recent media coverage of Jefferson Trust-supported projects:
Roots on the Road is biking across the country this summer to research and raise awareness of what the future of food looks like. Find out more about this student-led initiative in this CBS19 News feature.
Installation of the new Dark Matter Radio Telescope at Fan Mountain Observatory
With support from the Trust, Associate Professor Hudson Golino is building open-source tools that make AI more transparent, measurable, and aligned with human values. Explore more in this College of Arts & Sciences article.
The Trust was an early supporter of Become a Problem-Solver (BAPS), supporting students applying Systems Engineering principals to help UVA service organizations address operational challenges. Read how BAPS is expanding their reach and impact across Grounds.
Big ideas take time and we’re here to help curate them. Our Major Grant Cycle supports requests over $10,000 that enhance UVA and the student experience. Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) can be submitted anytime, and early submissions are encouraged for feedback and refinement. Full proposals (by invitation) are due July 31, 2026.
Flash Grants support innovative, student-driven initiatives, at $10,000 or less, with a quick turnaround. Stay tuned, flash is moving to year-round opportunities starting July 1!
