Newsletter Archives - The Jefferson Trust

October 27, 2026

Jefferson Trust Awards $84,854 to Support Nine Initiatives at UVA

Nine projects at UVA have received $84,854 in Jefferson Trust Flash Grants this fall, supporting initiatives in health and safety, research, mentorship and hands-on learning.

“This semester we removed all flash grant deadlines to truly address needs “in a flash,” and help teams get to work more quickly. We’re excited to see the impact this impressive cohort of awardees will have on students across UVA and beyond,” shared Amy Bonner, Director of Grants for the Jefferson Trust.

Flash Grants provide up to $10,000 per project, offering UVA students, faculty and staff a way to bring innovative ideas to life. Unlike the Trust’s Major Cycle grants, which support requests exceeding $10,000, Flash Grant applications are accepted year-round and reviewed on a rolling basis, as funding allows.

2026 Fall Flash Grants:

Block the Burn: UVA Sunscreen Access: $9,300

This project launches a sustainable skin cancer prevention initiative by installing publicly accessible sunscreen dispensers, increasing access to free sunscreen, and expanding sun-safety education across Grounds.

Rescue Reach: $9,681

Ten new participants were recently CPR certified through the Rescue Reach program.

This student initiative will expand Basic Life Support (BLS), CPR, AED, and First Aid training and certification across the University and within the local community by certifying additional student instructors and scaling free workshops.

Engineering Kinesiology Tape: $10,000

Students aim to research, prototype, and validate a new type of kinesiology tape what will improve skin health and reduce tape-removal discomfort.

Eye-Level Dynamic Lighting in Office Environments: $10,000

In collaboration with Supporting Transformative Autism Research (STAR) Center, funding helps purchase materials and expand participation in a study to research how dynamic lighting exposure measured at eye level relates to occupants’ alertness, sleepiness, and agitation in real-world environments.

La Uva Magazine: $10,000

This project aims to develop sustainable structures for training, mentorship, and publication management, while increasing visibility, for La UVA Magazine, a digital magazine of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese at UVA.

Project Management Simulator: $9,828

Funding will support the development and launch of an interactive, scenario-based simulator as the capstone experience of UVA’s new Transportation Project Management Certificate.

Graduate Research Mentoring Program: $10,000

Pairing graduate student mentors with undergraduate Cognitive Science students, this program expands research and mentoring opportunities in the Cognitive Sciences Program, in collaboration with the Department of Psychology.

Introducing CAD Design through the Medium of LEGO Bricks: $9,795

Using Computer-Assisted Design (CAD), students in the School of Education will partner with middle schoolers to design and build a LEGO mosaic and figurine, exposing students to design, the prototyping process, and a manufacturing career pathway.

Student Technology Council: $6,250

Funding helps run the pilot year of the Student Technology Council, to address technology and data policy questions.

October 27, 2026

Trust News & Highlights

Student filmmakers leading the Student Self-Governance project. Photograph by Kelly West, University Communications

Catch up on the latest news, milestones, and developments from Jefferson Trust-supported projects across UVA and beyond.

The Trust’s Fall 2026 Major Grants were featured The Cavalier Daily and CBS19 News. Read more about the six projects receiving $812,064 in support of innovative research, student learning, and career preparation.
Over the past year, three student filmmakers have explored what Student Self-Governance looks like at UVA by interviewing and filming fellow student leaders and documenting what they learned along the way. Watch their 5-part video series to hear perspectives on this longstanding UVA tradition.
DemCap Classroom is helping K-12 teachers and students explore the ideas, history, and practice of democracy and capitalism. Its new, free classroom resource has launched, featuring teacher-created lesson plans, primary sources, and professional development opportunities. Check back regularly as new materials are added.
Zack Landsman, founder of Junk Labz and a past Trust grant recipient, recently appeared on Sustainably Speaking: Beyond the Classroom to discuss the organization’s journey – from recycling printers to create STEM kits to exploring plastics recycling and developing products from recycled plastic sheets. Listen to the episode to hear about lessons learned and what’s next for Junk Labz.
A Jefferson Trust grant supported Ehsan Baharlou’s research into how recyclable plastics could be repurposed into furniture, including the Being Plastic, Becoming Plastic symposium and exhibition. That work has since grown into Plastic Futures in Architecture: From Recycled Synthetic to Bio-Based Polymers, a new book featuring 27 contributors from around the world, including five original speakers from the symposium. The book builds on Baharlou’s Plastic Techne framework, which organizes the volume around three modes: Being, Becoming and Beyond.

April 22, 2026April 23, 2026

Jefferson Trust Grants Emphasize Experiential Learning, Research, and AI

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.

April 15, 2026April 23, 2026

Jefferson Trust Awards Flash Grants to Support Student Initiatives

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.