UVA grant seekers, thank you! The Trust received 93 Letters of Inquiry (LOI) requesting $9.6 million in our annual grant cycle. Forty-seven of these requests, seeking $5.78 million, have moved forward to the full proposal stage.
Submissions cover a wide variety of topics, including mental health, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and cutting-edge research. Proposals were received from twelve student groups, almost every school, and a variety of University-related organizations.
Our Proposals Committee has started reviewing the proposals in advance of the final round, which is an in-person pitch. The Trustees will look to grant $1.6 million this year across all funding cycles.
If you missed the annual cycle deadline, the January 2025 Flash Grant Cycle opens January 1. Flash Funding grants are capped at $10,000 and focus on short-term projects or immediate use opportunities, often for student organizations. Flash Funding runs in the spring semester, and grants are made on a month-to-month basis as long as funds are available. Visit our Grant Seekers page for more information.
As always, we are available to discuss your potential project and answer any funding questions. Contact our Director of Grants, Amy Bonner, for more information.
The Jefferson Trust has awarded $119,880 across fourteen flash funding grants since January.
“The volume of requests we received this year was overwhelming. It is a clear indication that UVA is an active, forward-looking university with a healthy student body ready to make an impact,” shared Brent Percival, Executive Director of the Jefferson Trust. “The Trustees were thrilled to see so many Flash Funding requests from students; their engagement in programs and projects that enrich the student experience is a hallmark of the Trust.”
Student experiences are the standout theme this spring. Whether student research experiences, like Morven Soundscape and From the Ground Up, to learning opportunities with artificial intelligence (AI), through McIntire’s Escape Room Tournament and the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Research and Training, people at UVA are seeking out new ways to engage and enhance the student experience.
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 2024 Flash Grants:
AFROTC VR Simulator: $10,000
Funding will bring virtual reality simulator training on the T-6 Texan II aircraft to Air Force ROTC students at UVA, and a potential partnership with the UVA Aeronautical Engineering club.
Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Research and Teaching: $8,040
A team of professors is launching a series of workshops, open to the University and local communities, designed to illustrate the benefits and weaknesses of AI.
From the Ground Up: $9,700
Through hands-on learning labs and field research, UVA students will develop an educational module centered on soil biological health of Native tallgrass prairies to help build agricultural and environmental education among local Indigenous youth in Sisseton, South Dakota.
Morven Soundscape: $10,000
Students will create an expansive soundscape of the land at Morven Farms, enhancing listeners’ understanding of the place, and assisting researchers in a better understanding of its history, archaeology, and environment.
McIntire School of Commerce Escape Room Tournament: $8,000
A student-created game, the Escape Room Competition simulates an Artificial Intelligence (AI) business firm, where students will use critical thinking skills and hands-on learning to solve challenges in entrepreneurship, innovation, and modern workforce.
The Stan Winston and Steve Warner Festival of the Moving Creature: $10,000
In preparation for the Stan Winston and Steve Warner Festival of the Moving Creature, students in Art of the Moving Creature class work on their festival creatures.
The class, and culminating festival, will showcase the multidisciplinary lessons and passions of Arts Grounds in a public performance of larger-than-life moving creatures designed and powered by students in the Art of the Moving Creatures Spring 2024 seminar.
CALM Wellness Retreat: $1,400
The CALM Wellness Retreat for School of Medicine students provides the medical student community a dedicated space to find relief from the stressors of medicine and build sustainable mindfulness practices that they can carry with them throughout their medical school journey and future medical career.
Smiles & Spatulas: $3,400
A cooking program that will empower adults with Down Syndrome by teaching kitchen safety, cooking basics, and general nutrition. This pilot program offers volunteer opportunities for students while giving back to the Charlottesville community.
Teaching and Learning Enhancement Hub: $9,590
An initiative in the Department of Psychology with results that will be applied broadly, the Hub is evaluating several effective learning strategies to improve learning experiences for students.
JunkLabz – Printers4Kidz: $10,000
Funding helps to purchase a new plastic sheet press, enabling Junk Labz to improve the diversion and processing of plastic waste more efficiently, turning higher volumes of recycled plastic into durable, long-lasting products.
Entrepreneurship for All: $10,000
In partnership with local high schools, this program is designed to educate and empower youth from historically marginalized communities to create their own ventures and social enterprises.
Sara Curruchich. Being an Indigenous Woman in Today’s Guatemala: $10,000
The internationally recognized Mayan Kaqchikel singer and songwriter visited Grounds as a Ruffin Distinguished Artist-in-Residence. Classes, workshops, and a free public concert were held, and materials from the visit will be archived in the UVA Library for future students to learn about Curruchich, Kaqchikel art, and activism.
Public Facing Writing: Editor Workshop Series: $10,000
Graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences are organizing the Public Facing Writing workshop series, aimed to support public humanities work and grow the networks between humanities scholars and public facing publications at UVA.
SWVA Can Code Regional Student Showcase: $9,750
In partnership with UVA Wise, local schools, and community organizations, middle- and high- school students will learn coding, web app development, problem-solving, prototyping, and entrepreneurial and communication skills at summer camps, then showcase their work on Wise’s campus.
We received 50 proposals requesting $353,000 in funding in the January Flash Funding cycle. Thank you, UVA for your innovative ideas and commitment to further enhance the University!
If you missed January, our February Flash funding proposal form is open. Flash grants are capped at $10,000 and focus on short-term projects or immediate use opportunities, often for student organizations. Proposals must be submitted no later than February 29, with decisions announced on March 15.
For additional information, please visit our Grant Seekers page or contact Amy Bonner at abonner@virginia.edu to discuss your idea and potential funding.
We received 19 proposals requesting $170,297 in funding in the January Flash Funding cycle. Thank you, UVA for your innovative ideas and commitment to further enhance the University!
If you missed January, our February Flash funding proposal form is open. Flash grants are capped at $10,000 and focus on short-term projects or immediate use opportunities, often for student organizations. Proposals must be submitted no later than February 28, with decisions announced on March 15.
For additional information, please visit our Grant Seekers page or contact Amy Bonner at abonner@virginia.edu to discuss your idea and potential funding.
We received 18 proposals requesting $130,945 in funding in the January Flash Funding cycle. Thank you, UVA for your innovative ideas and commitment to further enhance the University!
If you missed January, our February Flash funding proposal form is open. Flash grants are capped at $10,000 and focus on short-term projects or immediate use opportunities, often for student organizations. Proposals must be submitted no later than February 28, with decisions determined by March 15.
For additional information, please visit our Grant Seekers page or contact our Director of Grants, Amy, at abonner@virginia.edu to discuss your idea and potential funding.
The January Flash Funding cycle has closed, and we received 16 proposals requesting a total of $155,540 in funding!
If you missed January, our February application cycle is open! Flash Funds are focused on shorter-term or immediate use projects, with awards capped at $10,000 per project. All proposals submitted in February will have a decision by March 15. Please visit our Apply Page to learn more and view an Information Session video, or contact our Grants Administrator, Amy at als9n@virginia.edu, to discuss your project.
Our grant application for the January flash funding cycle is now open! To learn more about what the Trust funds, plan to participate in our Virtual Information Session on January 7th. Visit our Apply Page to learn more or contact our Grants Administrator, Amy, with questions.
Have a new or innovative idea that needs funding? Apply for a Flash Funding Grant! Flash Funding seeks to fill a need for shorter-term projects or immediate use, and awards are capped at $10,000 per project.
January Applications close on the 31st, with funds awarded on February 15th. February applications open on the 1st and close on the 29th, with funds awarded on March 15th.
Visit our Apply page, and plan to attend one of our information sessions on the second floor of Clemons Library in Room 204:
Tuesday January 21st @ 11:15am
Thursday January 23rd @ 11:15am
Tuesday January 28th @ 11:15am
Wednesday January 29th @ 5:15pm
Wednesday February 5th @ 5:15pm
Thursday February 6th @ 11:15am
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates!
The Jefferson Trust is excited to announce two funding opportunities for the 2019–20 academic year. In addition to our long-standing annual cycle, Flash Funds will return in the spring semester.
We will be holding information sessions this fall! Please join us:
Tuesday, 9/3, 5:00 p.m.—Clemons Library
Thursday, 9/5, 3:30 p.m.—Manning Pavilion, Alumni Hall
This spring the Jefferson Trust launched a new funding opportunity – Flash Funds. Awarded on a monthly basis as long as funds last, Flash Funds seek to meet more immediate needs of the University community.
Eight awards totaling just over $50,000 were funded in March and April. These flash grants include:
Virginia Quarterly Review Podcast Initiative: $8,000 The goal is to launch a radio storytelling series that brings the magazine’s artful style and civic relevance to a globally syndicated podcast—modeled after TheNew Yorker Radio Hour and The Daily from TheNew York Times. VQR, one of the country’s most prestigious literary journals, won a National Magazine Award for general excellence this year.
Lightbulb: $10,000
Lightbulb is a unique web platform for college campuses that connects people with ideas to people who have the skill to implement them—helping overcome the most fundamental problem that aspiring entrepreneurs face. Users can approach the platform with an idea (while looking for the right talent to execute it) or as someone with valuable skills to help others with their ideas.
WICS Hack for the Future: $1,400
Women in Computing Sciences (WiCS) supports and celebrates the growing community of women in computing. Every year, WiCS hosts a hackathon at UVA to inspire coders (specifically targeting minorities in the CS industry) to create innovative projects and build their confidence through various workshops. Funding will expand this hackathon in its second year.
Coding for Kids: $2,400
This program supplements the technology and computer science curricula at Charlottesville City Schools—helping combat the pipeline problem in STEM fields through face-to-face, interactive, small-group lessons led by students and faculty from UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce.
Solar Education Community Outreach Program: $2,850
The program teaches Charlottesville middle school students about the logistics and benefits of solar technology, providing a greater understanding of our society’s options with respect to energy sources.
Community Engagement Training Video: $7,940
The Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Outreach will create a set of short training videos for UVA students seeking community service opportunities.
Echols Scholars Symposium: $10,000
Echols Scholars, while in their final year as undergraduates, will present what they have learned from their coursework in individual fields of study and at the intersection of various disciplines.
Ripple Fellowship: $10,000
This summer intensive is dedicated to training students in venture development, that they might eventually serve as entrepreneurial mentors for their peers—transforming UVA’s entrepreneurial culture as well as pioneering a national model.
