The Jefferson Trust has awarded $812,064 to six new projects across the University of Virginia, supporting initiatives spanning artificial intelligence, medical research, clean energy, engineering education and career preparation.
The awards were made through the Trust’s Fall 2026 Major Cycle, one of two Major Cycles the organization offers each year.
The largest grant, totaling $260,000, will support Predicting Tumor Growth with Generative AI.
A multidisciplinary UVA team will develop GrowthNet, an artificial intelligence model designed to use a patient’s current MRI to create a three-dimensional forecast of how a vestibular schwannoma brain tumor is likely to grow over time.
The project represents one of several Fall Cycle initiatives incorporating AI into research or education.
Another $120,064 will support Breathomics for Ischemic Stroke Differentiation in Humans.
The Department of Anesthesiology project aims to develop a non-invasive platform that identifies biomarkers in exhaled breath and uses them to provide rapid, objective decision support for detecting ischemic strokes.
The Jefferson Trust is also awarding $80,000 to From Pump to Patient: Identifying Microplastic Exposure in the NICU.
Researchers will examine microplastic concentrations in expressed and donor breast milk at different points throughout the collection, storage and delivery process.
The findings are intended to guide safer feeding practices in neonatal intensive care units, support interdisciplinary training opportunities for UVA students and trainees and establish evidence that could help reduce microplastic exposure among medically vulnerable newborns.
A $135,000 grant will establish the CICLEC Fellows Program in Catalysis and Sustainability.
The Catalysis Initiative for Clean Energy and Chemicals is a UVA Research Hub spanning the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Engineering.
Through the new program, CICLEC will establish UVA’s first cross-college undergraduate research cohort focused on catalysis and sustainability.
The research area includes science supporting the development of cleaner fuels, chemicals and energy technologies.
The UVA Finance Academy will receive $127,500 to expand career preparation opportunities for second-year students.
Open to all second-year students, the program is designed to support students throughout the finance career process, including recruiting, internships and full-time employment opportunities.
The funding is intended to expand access to finance careers and provide additional career preparation for UVA students.
The sixth project, Scaffold: An Adaptive Learning Platform for Engineering Education, will receive $89,500.
The funding will support development of Scaffold, an adaptive learning platform designed specifically to help students build proficiency in core scientific skills commonly used across engineering and science education.
Together, the six grants reflect the Jefferson Trust’s focus on supporting new ideas that can create opportunities across health, education, research and professional development.
The organization plans to hold another Major Cycle funding round during the Spring semester.
KEY QUOTE:
“In this Fall Cycle, we continued to see how the University community is incorporating artificial intelligence. Whether in education or medical research, the implications of this work could extend far beyond Grounds. As these projects and new ideas continue to evolve, we look forward to another Major Cycle round in the Spring semester.”
Brent Percival, Executive Director of the Jefferson Trust
