A University of Virginia fund with an annual pool of $700,000 has provided several faculty members with seed money to invest in their research. (Photo by Sanjay Suchak, University Communications)

The President and Provost’s Fund for Institutionally Related Research announced its third round of awards to support faculty research that shows potential to benefit the University of Virginia community.

Launched in 2020, the seed fund supports UVA faculty researchers who design projects to improve life and learning at the University, especially for students. Proposals also support key elements of the University’s strategic plan, “A Great and Good University: The 2030 Plan.”

The fund is designed to provide initial support to launch projects that can either be completed with one-time funding, or, if they will require a larger investment, have the potential to attract longer-term funding from federal agencies, private foundations and other sources. The fund has an annual pool of $700,000, with a cap of $200,000 per award.

“We are thrilled to offer support to six proposals this year, tripling the number of awards from each of the past two rounds,” President Jim Ryan said. “While selecting only some of the competitive proposals that we receive is challenging, Ian and I are impressed with the potential that these projects have to benefit the UVA community.”

Provost Ian Baucom added, “The projects selected for this round of funding all share a deep desire to reach students where they are – in classrooms and dorm rooms, and as citizens and future leaders. Feeling a sense of belonging and welcome has been a recurring theme for students this year, chiefly as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and I am delighted to see faculty members dedicating their thought and work to improving student learning and experience through this research.”

This year, 16 submissions were nominated by deans on a variety of topics from schools across Grounds. The six recipients:

In the 2020 inaugural round of the program, the fund supported two initiatives: one to study the “Hoos Connected” program and another to launch “eGlobal UVA.” In 2021, two initiatives rose to the top of applications. The first, led by Bethany Teachman, a professor of psychology in the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, developed and tested an online, app-based “Hoos Think Calmly” approach to deliver personalized, context-relevant, mobile interventions for UVA students, faculty and staff. The second, led by Karen Inkelas, an associate professor of education, aimed to promote belonging and academic success among underrepresented students at UVA.

The President and Provost’s Fund for Institutionally Related Research accepts proposals each year. In general, the fund supports projects involving research related to improving the quality of life and learning for members of the UVA community, although in some years there is a focus on a particular topic.

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