Catch-up on recent media coverage of Jefferson Trust-supported projects:
William Brady recently joined The Cavalier Daily’s On Record podcast to discuss UVA’s EMS Response Initiative, the University’s first student-run emergency medical service, and how it’s helping strengthen emergency response on Grounds.
Students are getting hands-on experience to the field of architecture through the Design Discovery Summer Program
The Design Discovery Summer Program is introducing youth to architecture through hands-on design projects, construction site tours, and mentorship from industry professionals.
AI Research Initiative at UVA is bringing faculty from across the University together for hands-on workshops exploring practical applications of AI in teaching and research, helping build AI knowledge, tools, and infrastructure across Grounds. Take a closer look at the initiative’s recent workshops.
Roots on the Road spent the summer biking across the country to research and raise awareness about the future of food. Read a preview of their journey from The Cavalier Daily.
Cavalimbs is designing a prosthetic arm, with the goal of making prosthetics more accessible and affordable. Learn more about the team’s work in their UVA Today feature.
The Architecture School Student Council is designing and building two respite pods in Campbell Hall, “Sol” and “Luna”, to promote mental well-being and strengthen studio culture. Learn more about the project and its impact.
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.
