The Jefferson Trust

09/02/2026

We’re proud to share our 2025–26 Annual Report! Explore the latest chapter in the Trust’s grantmaking story and discover the innovative projects and people supported this year.🔸🔹 Read the full report: jeffersontrust.org/annual-report

09/01/2026

Grants in the News 📰 From research to student-led initiatives, Trust-funded projects continue to make an impact across the University and beyond.

Take a look at some of the projects that made news this summer and see where their work is headed next.

Catch-up on Jefferson Trust grant recipients in recent media coverage.

08/26/2026

Welcome back to Grounds, Hoos! Wishing you a great start to the fall semester!

08/24/2026

Ehsan Baharlou received a Trust grant to research how recyclable plastics could be repurposed into furniture, a project that included the “Being Plastic, Becoming Plastic” symposium and exhibition.

That work has now 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 framework, Plastic Techne, which he introduces in the volume and uses to organize the book around three modes: Being, Becoming and Beyond.

We’re proud to have supported the work that helped set this project in motion, and excited to see where it has gone since!🔗Learn more about “the book: https://bit.ly/4wLrR9A.

Photographs by Ehsan Baharlou

08/11/2026

Grant Project at Work: Students involved in The Learning Hub recently presented their research findings at the Starling Reid Conference, while also serving as mentors to first-year students in the program.

The Learning Hub has now been successfully established as an ongoing program in the Department of Psychology and will be offered each fall to first-year students in the College. Students will be able to choose between an in-person or AI-guided online format, allowing them to participate in the program in a way that best fits their schedules and learning preferences.

We’re excited to see this grant-supported project continue to grow and reach new students!

08/06/2026

Dr. 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. The conversation explores the vision behind the project, its impact on emergency response on Grounds, and the opportunities it provides for student training and leadership.

Listen to the episode by searching "Cavalier Daily On Record" on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

On Record · Episode

08/04/2026

Stay connected with the latest from the Jefferson Trust. Our quarterly e-newsletter highlights grant funding opportunities, important deadlines, and the innovative ideas making an impact across UVA.

Whether you're looking for funding, following the progress of Trust-supported projects, or simply interested in what's happening across Grounds, we'd love to have you join our mailing list.

We do not sell your information and you can unsubscribe at any time by emailing us at [email protected] or clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails.

07/30/2026

Grant Project at Work ⚖️ Meet the UVA Law students helping expand access to legal education through the Virginia Law Prison Project (VLPP) Education Program.

Supported by the Trust, this partnership with Resilience Education provides business law instruction for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated learners, while giving UVA Law students meaningful experiential learning that prepares them to become effective advocates, policymakers, and business leaders.

By developing curriculum, teaching resources, and a sustainable model that future UVA Law cohorts can continue using, this initiative is creating lasting opportunities for both student learning and community impact.

07/27/2026

Grant Project at Work: This summer, undergraduate interns at Ivy Creek Natural Area have been researching the history of River View Farm and the Carr-Greer family. Building on work supported by a Trust grant, their research will inform new interpretive signage along the Ivy Creek trails, helping visitors better understand the site's rich history.

The interns are also gaining valuable hands-on experience through community presentations, educational programming, weekend volunteer activities, and trail engagement, demonstrating how experiential learning can benefit both students and the broader community.