Updates in a Flash

In 2023, the Trust awarded $96,350 to fourteen flash grant projects, across three funding cycles. Based on the short timelines of flash projects, many are complete, but a few are in the midst of their work. We’re excited to share updates from three:

Behavioral Sciences Across Grounds received $9,240 to help establish a gathering of behavioral scientists across the University, providing an opportunity for improved collaborations, better training, engaging in strategic planning, and a greater sense of community. The first stage of the project was so well received that the team divided the conference into two stages. The first was held in 2023, and the second will take place in early 2024. “Feedback has been extremely positive, and we feel like this event has really brought together this community and built strong bonds. We are in a strong position to consider ways to build bridges to bring in external funding,” shared project lead, Gabrielle Adams.

Talking Trees was awarded $1,546 to purchase a print press, creating a folio of wood prints to assemble a visual catalogue of the different species of trees from across Grounds. An article published in LUNCH, the Architecture school’s student-run publication, details some of the tree cookie prints and their procurement, as well as the project collaboration with UVA Sawmilling. A small edition of prints have been shared with Sawmilling for larger distribution.

Tree cookie print example from Talking Trees grant.

{in}Visible Magazine received $3,170 to help launch the first literary publication at UVA dedicated to the Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American (APISAA) community on Grounds, creating a space for exploring and sharing unique experiences through writing and art. Since launching they have published four issues and are working on the next to release in spring 2024.

“We’ve been surprised by the amount of interest in joining our staff; we’re managing more writers and artists than we ever have before, and more than we’ve expected,” shared Wendy Gao, Magazine Editor-in-Chief. “We’ve also applied for CIO status!”

We are excited to see what great ideas and projects will arise in the 2024 flash grants process!

Grant Projects in the News

Starr Hill Nursing Pathways (Photo: Dan Addison)

Catch up on Trust grant projects recently featured in the news:

Year two of the Starr Hill Pathways program occurred this summer! See features of the camp in the Daily Progress, CBS19 News, and NBC29. In addition, the program has received additional grant funding to further programs, research, and support. Learn more from CBS19 News.

The Holsinger Studio Portrait Project’s “Visions of Progress” exhibition has ended, but additional programming is being planned and offered this fall. Check out this UVA Today feature to see what is in store.

Gideon French received a flash grant in 2021 to lead a team of undergraduate researchers in the digitization, transcription, and curation of private letters written by Rev. John W. Alvord, a Civil War Army Chaplain and Freedmen’s Bureau Superintendent of Schools and Finance. See this blog post about the work involved, history uncovered, and next steps in the project.

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Cavalier Autonomous Racing continues to push

The Cavalier Autonomous Racing Team recently competed in the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as a part of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). CES is known as a global stage for innovation, and nine teams from six countries and representing 17 universities competed.

Cavalier Autonomous Racing (photo credit: UVA Engineering)

Joining the Indy Autonomous Challenge in 2019, the Cavalier Autonomous Racing team has participated in every IAC race held to date. With support from the Trust, the team is helping to push the boundaries of autonomous racing and creating safe autonomy. UVA’s team is comprised of undergraduate and graduate students in the School of Engineering, and the Indy Autonomous Challenge grants them access and opportunity on a world stage.

The modern CES began in 1998, though it has roots back to 1967 and was largely an event to see the latest video game or telephone. Today, CES has grown to be the launch point for some of the greatest electronic advancements across any industry, including automobiles.  It has replaced the North American Auto Show in Detroit as the go-to place for automakers to unveil new technology.

The Trust could not be happier to help provide this opportunity to UVA students, who are standing at the forefront of the automotive future.

Jefferson Trust awards $98,000 in Flash Funding grants

The Jefferson Trust has awarded just over $98,000 across sixteen Flash Funding grants since January. “The flash funding proposals received this spring were fascinating. It’s impressive to see so many students and faculty at UVA focused on making an already great institution even better,” shares Amy Bonner, Director of Grants for the Trust.

Half of the sixteen flash awards were made to students or student groups focused on improving the UVA experience: an art contest in the chemistry building, mapping the health system and several film projects. Another group of flash grants involve partnerships with community groups — the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe, local Emergency Services and even hikers on North Grounds.

Different than the Jefferson Trust’s Annual Cycle grants, Flash Funding grants are capped at $10,000 per project and are awarded monthly beginning in January.

The 2022 Flash Funding grants:

Accesibilizing UVA Health: A Navigational Experience: $7,480

A student-led initiative of the Health Sciences Library, this project aims to create an accurate virtual map of the UVA Health System. The app will provide step-by-step walking instructions to promote patient independence and familiarity with the hospital. This work will also create the foundation for streamlined processes to expand both outpatient clinics as well as other University buildings.

STEM-Themed Art Contest for Chemistry Building: $2,500

This art contest will blend art and science by bringing student and faculty produced art to the walls of the chemistry building.

“One Size Fits All” Short Film and Impact Campaign: $7,834

Funding supports a short film exploring satirical commentary on body image, social media and how companies manipulate us. In addition to the film, an interactive website will be created to provide a meeting place for viewers to think, talk and organize change.

From Chaos to Chaos: Documenting Afghan Women: $10,000

This project will include a film amplifying and sharing the stories of Afghan women in the UVA community and pilot a support and wellness program.

Charlottesville Analog Film Festival: $5,320

This student-led project will create a series of short analog films, which will premiere at an open-community film festival in Charlottesville in fall 2022. The project will involve community partners Visible Records and Light House Studios.

The Historical Landscape of North Grounds: $6,735

The UVA Law Library is creating and installing interpretive panels along the Rivanna Trail in UVA’s North Grounds to inform and bring awareness of the people — free and enslaved — who lived and labored on this UVA property.

Upper Mattaponi Land Use Study: $10,000

A collaboration between UVA’s Native & Indigenous Relations Community (NIRC), the School of Architecture and the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe (UMIT), this project was developed in response to efforts at UVA to build and improve relations with Native nations across Virginia. A team of faculty, staff and students will work with the tribe to assess their needs and desires for development and provide UMIT with a professional study and land use report to guide their efforts.

Developing Future Leaders in Autism Healthcare Through Emergency Medical Training: $9,973

This project aims to develop and distribute evidenced-based, community-informed Autism Response Protocol (ARP) to EMTs across Virginia through various trainings. Creating hands-on opportunities for students to learn about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will fill a major gap in current curricula and facilitate their future leadership in medicine.

Large Format 3D Printer: $1,000

This student-led experiential project aims to explore how 3D printing can be scaled from small desktop machines to large desk-sized machines while maintaining accuracy and precision.

Zora’s Daughters Choosing Brilliance Lecture: $1,000

Zora’s Daughters is a popular podcast focusing on contemporary issues from a Black feminist lens using anthropological concepts and key texts. Students interviewed Zora’s Daughters creators about their production process, as well as the cogency of anthropological thought in public discourse.

Tangential Timber: Non-Linear Wood Masonry: $7,000

This project seeks to demonstrate an application for irregular waste timber by developing a digital fabrication workflow to process cross sectional slices of logs (“cookies”) into structural blocks. The project will culminate in a physical prototype installation demonstrating the novel construction and material strategies developed.

Darden African Business Conference: $7,000

Funding supports a conference focused on “Emerging Trends in Africa’s Creative Economy.” Conference attendees will improve their knowledge of the interplay between Africa’s economic development and its creative sector, gain an awareness of the difference in various African countries, and increase the number of African business cases studied in Darden classrooms.

Taste of Home Open Fair: $752

Two chefs from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds will cook meals that UVA community members can enjoy at the Taste of Home multicultural fair, which introduces unique cultures through ethnic cuisine.

3D Scanning at the Visual Resources Center: $8,660

Funding will purchase a 3D scanner for the Visual Resources Center at the Art Department, which is a hub of 3D modeling, printing and other digital creative services for students, faculty and staff.

History of Law Enforcement with an emphasis on UPD: $2,800

Bringing UVA students, faculty and citizens of Charlottesville together, the University Police Department (UPD) will host and participate in a panel discussion and workshop to discuss African American and Monacan Tribal Nation relationships around the history of law enforcement while promoting and fostering healing to both law enforcement and citizens.

Psychology School Outreach Days: $9,962.74

Eighth graders from across central Virginia will come to UVA for a day of hands-on learning to explore psychology and brain science.

Grant Projects in News

It’s been a busy spring for many grant projects! Learn about a few that have received University publicity:

Learn more in this UVA Today article about the inspiration and research occurring from 2022 annual grant project, Searching for Hidden Chambers in the Temple of Kukulcán at Chichén Itzá.

Optimizing Pediatric Donor Heart Utilization received an annual grant in 2022 to use big data analytics to improve pediatric heart transplants. Find out more about their work in recent UVA Engineering and UVA Today features.

“Madayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala” is the first major exhibition of Aboriginal Australian bark paintings to tour the U.S. It opens in September 2022 at the Hood Museum. Kluge-Ruhe received a Trust grant in 2019 to help produce the accompanying catalog, a 352-page piece in both Yolngu Matha and English [the first ever international touring exhibition catalog in an Australian language]. Read more about the significance of this exhibition.

The Holsinger Portrait Project is uncovering photos, researching, and telling the stories of Black Charlottesville residents. Learn about this 2022 grant project in UVA Today.

Left: A wood structure designed by Somewhere Studio, operated by Jessica Colangelo and Charles Sharpless, both from the University of Arkansas. Right: a structure made from mycelium blocks.

The Biomaterial Building Exposition has been researching and exploring innovative approaches to biomaterial construction techniques. Learn more about the work of this project, a 2021 grant recipient, in these features: UVA TodayArchinect News, Inform Design + Innovation, and C-ville Weekly.

Our 2022 flash grant awards were determined this spring! See recent features in NBC29 and The Daily Progress.

Upcoming Grant Project Events

The Holsinger Portrait Project pop-up exhibition is at the Northside Library through March 31. The New Negro in Charlottesville and Albemarle: Portraits from a Century Ago: Pop-Up Portrait Exhibition features portraits of local African Americans, commissioned from R.W. Holsinger’s photo studio, during the first decades of the twentieth century.

March 31: Infectious Disease in 3D is hosting their Spring Virtual Reality Symposium! The ID in 3D team will share sneak peaks of their virtual animation, which highlights virtual reality’s applications for medical education.

April 1-2: The Darden African Business Organization is hosting ‘Emerging Trends in Africa’s Creative Economy’ Conference. The conference aims to provide attendees with a better understanding of the interplay between Africa’s economic development and its creative sector, and to better understand the differences in various African countries.

Girls Maker Camp promo

April 3: Girls Maker Day for local middle school girls! Hosted by the Women’s Maker Program, from the Robertson Media Center, the camp focuses on hands-on creative activities, allowing participants to learn about cutting-edge makerspace technologies.

April 22: “Price it Like a Pro with Paddy Johnson!” StARTup Studio’s panel discussion focuses on the steps of pricing your artwork appropriately, so creative artists can confidently sell for any context.

May 31: “2020: Extraordinary Moments” is looking for the positive; creating a documentary, magazine, and showcase exhibition to highlight meaningful moments from the UVA community, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Submit your work by May 31, 2022. The work will be exhibited at the 2020: Extraordinary Moments showcase in fall 2022.

Puglia Neurodevelopment Lab is enrolling 0-12-month-old premature babies to participate in a research study. The goal of the study: to develop new universal screening protocols for social processing disorders. If you’re interested in participating and have questions, contact: pugliadevneurolab@virginia.edu.

Cavalier Autonomous Racing Team leaves their mark

The Cavalier Autonomous Racing Team with their car
Photo Credit: UVA Engineering/Chris Tyree

In late October, the Cavalier Autonomous Racing team competed in the Indy Autonomous Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team finished as the fastest all-American self-driving car, reaching speeds of 120 mph.

Faculty advisor Madhur Behl received a $50,000 Trust grant in 2020 to help establish the Cavalier Autonomous Racing Club. The team worked for more than a year to develop, test, and modify their car and software to be race-ready. Despite COVID delays, the team continued to innovate, remained positive, and worked diligently to create a winning car. We’re thrilled to see their progress and the impact they’ve made, and we’re excited for the future!

Grants in the News

Ziyuan Wang
Third-year physics and psychology major, Ziyuan Wang, works on an apparatus to observe the behaviors of superfluid helium droplets. (Photo by Dan Addison, University Communications)

Many grant projects have been busy this fall by continuing their work, conducting research, and hosting events. Their efforts have drawn attention from news outlets in Charlottesville, in Virginia, and beyond.

A 2021 annual grant recipient, the Fralin Museum’s “Skyscraper Gothic” exhibit was featured in the Wall Street Journal and is open through December 31, 2021.

In September, the UVA Student Veteran Center opened in Newcomb Hall, receiving coverage from UVA Today, Cavalier Daily, NBC29 News and CBS19 News. The Trust awarded an annual grant in 2019 to the Student Veteran’s Support Initiative, which helped fund their new center.

A student partnership with the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota received an annual grant in 2018. With continued support, the team has experienced consistent growth and expanded impact of their work, as featured in UVA Today.

The Architecture of The Green Book: A Digital Database received a flash grant in February 2021. This UVA Today article highlights the team’s motivation behind the work, their progress and next steps.

nanoSTAR Summer Program for Entrepreneurial Nanoscale Engineering received an annual grant in 2020. The project was delayed due to COVID, but this UVA Today article provides a great overview of some of the work and research that started this summer.

“Words on Paper, Write Climate” received an annual grant in 2018. While funding from the Trust finished a year ago, they’re still partnering around the community, as shown on NBC29 News.

We are thrilled to see the hard work of our grantees and impact of their projects highlighted!

Grant Projects in the News

A small autonomous car built by the Cavalier Autonomous Racing Club

Many grant projects are working over the summer, and their efforts have been highlighted in news outlets!

The Cavalier Autonomous Racing Club is testing, training, and preparing to race at the Indy Autonomous Challenge in October. To take a look behind the scenes and follow their journey, visit the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s YouTube page.

UVA’s School of Architecture arctic exhibition has opened at the Venice Biennale; the team received a Trust flash grant in 2020.

Trust funding is supporting UVA’s partnership and work in the “Green Book” digital project, which received a flash grant in 2021.

UVA Edge, a 2021 annual grant recipient from the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, has recently launched a partnership with Univision to provide employees access to higher education workforce development.

Teachers in the Movement received a Trust grant in 2014 as they began capturing early oral histories from educators who taught between 1950 and 1980 throughout the South. They’ve launched a podcast featuring the voices and stories of those teachers.

IMPACT

Hoos First Look students

It can be hard to measure impact that a grant project has on its intended audience, the broader University, or even the projects directors. However, two projects funded by the Jefferson Trust in the past year are already starting to make waves across the University.

Hoos First Look, a 2019 grant recipient, provides 20 low-income, first generation prospective high school juniors with an immersive weekend orientation visit to Grounds, where they learn about the college application and financial aid processes, while getting a glimpse into the University Community and fostering relationships. The program is run by current UVA students, most of whom are first-gen themselves, automatically creating a unique bond among the visiting high-schoolers and UVA students. One participant from the program’s fall 2019 cohort shared, “Hoos First Look allowed me to feel one step closer to reaching my goal of attending the University… this campus visit made me more excited to apply to the University of Virginia. The University remains my No. 1 choice and now, more than ever, I’m going to continue to meet every goal I have for myself and continue to prepare for the application process come senior year.” The impact that it has had on the current UVA students helping to run the program is also great, as current co-chair Joanne Lee shares: “It was so amazing to see how we touched these high schoolers’ lives. I know that I can serve as a mentor for them and help them find these resources.”

Classroom chalkboard with Flux's "7 Slam Commandments"Another program enhancing the UVA student experience is Flux, the University’s only slam poetry group. In fall 2019 they held multiple poetry slams as qualifiers to determine which poets will represent UVA at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational (CUPSI) in April 2020. Two important dynamics of Flux are audience engagement and creating a safe space; attendees are encouraged to snap, clap, and cheer throughout the poet’s readings, while cultivating an environment where everyone in the room feels respected and heard. A first-year student and participant in the slam commented, “The atmosphere is just incredible…it’s one thing to write a poem … but it’s another thing to perform it for people that are like an incredible community … snapping and cheering.” Another poet shared, “I thought it was really cool that a lot of people brought really personal poems, and I thought it was really cool how open everyone was about their stories.”

For more updates on funded projects and their impact on the University and beyond, visit our Facebook page.