Futures Grants

Developed by the Futures Initiative, Futures Grants are designed to:

• Catalyze multidisciplinary collaboration
• Foster community-engaged innovation
• Support early-stage, high-risk/high-reward ideas
• Advance UVA’s leadership in future-focused education, scholarship, research, and practice

Proposals addressing any challenge are welcome, with special consideration given to projects aligned within these broad themes:

• Education for All: Help close the education gap. Design initiatives that expand access to high-quality learning for all ages, regions, and socioeconomic groups – whether through cutting-edge digital tools, community-driven models, or lifelong learning programs.
• Energy and Infrastructure: Drive climate action. Develop strategies that reduce carbon emissions and build resilience through renewable energy technologies, sustainable infrastructure, nature-based solutions, or data-powered approaches to climate adaptation.
• Life with A.I.: Shape the future responsibly. Explore how artificial intelligence can enhance human flourishing – through applications that foster human–AI collaboration and ensure AI systems are transparent and accountable.
• Sustainable Living: Create pathways to a greener world. Innovate for environmentally responsible lifestyles, resilient communities, and equitable resource access – through breakthroughs in housing, food systems, mobility, or circular economies. 

• Award amount: Up to $50,000
• Duration: Up to 1 year
• Pre-award support: During the semifinalist phase, Futures Initiative Working Group (FIWG) members assist with team formation and project design.
• Post-award support: During the project period, selected teams receive support from UVA Innovates, including expert guidance on commercialization pathways, public-private partnerships, and external grant development.

Proposals will undergo a multi-phase review:

• Initial Review: All proposals reviewed by the Futures Initiative Working Group (FIWG)
• Semifinalist Round: Selected teams meet directly with FIWG members for feedback and refinement
• Finalist Pitch: Finalists present at Spinning Up the Future, a high-profile pitch event judged by academic, community, and industry leaders
• Selection & Launch: Winning teams announced; projects begin June-July 2026

Timeline (some dates have been extended):

• Feb. 17, 2026 / Applications due
• March 16, 2026 / Semifinalists notified
• March 30 - April 2, 2026 / Semifinalists pitch to the Futures Initiative Working Group
• April 6, 2026 / Finalists notified
• April 21, 2026 / Finalists pitch to judges’ panel at Spinning Up the Future event
• June-July 2026 / Projects launch
• Project duration / Up to 1 year

The criteria below will guide our evaluation process. Use them to shape your Project Description, but don’t worry if some elements are still emerging. During our collaborative review process, the FIWG can help your team refine ideas, connect with partners, and develop sustainability plans. We value bold ideas that push boundaries – so it's perfectly fine if every detail isn’t finalized yet! 

• Futures Rationale
  • Anticipates, shapes, or accelerates future trends
  • Demonstrates understanding of emerging technologies or societal shifts
  • Models bold, future-facing approaches with impact beyond Grounds
• Community-Driven Focus
  • Rooted in identified community needs
  • Includes meaningful co-design or co-leadership roles for community partners
• Multidisciplinary Approach
  • Team includes members from at least two distinct disciplines
  • Explains how diverse forms of expertise enhance innovation and impact
• External Collaboration
  • Includes or plans to include at least one external partner (e.g., nonprofit, government, industry)
  • Defines the partner’s role and contribution
• Translational Impact
  • Addresses a real-world problem with a clear path to application
  • Includes success metrics and plans for deployment, scaling, or commercialization
• Pathways to Sustainability
  • Outlines potential models for sustaining the project beyond the pilot stage
  • Identifies opportunities for partnerships, co-funding, in-kind support, or infrastructure access
• Roadblocks
  • Identifies potential challenges – procedural, technical, ethical, or logistical
  • Proposes practical strategies to mitigate or overcome them
• Student Involvement
  • Provides meaningful roles for graduate and/or undergraduate students (e.g., research assistants, co-creators, field testers)
  • Demonstrates how student participation enhances learning outcomes and project success

Team formation is open to all UVA faculty, students, and staff. Team requirements:

• Must include at least one full-time UVA faculty, staff member, or student
• At least two distinct disciplines or areas of expertise must be represented
• External collaborators (e.g., community or industry leaders) are strongly encouraged
• A majority of each team must be available to pitch in-person at the semifinalist and finalist stages

In addition to achieving proposed project outcomes, awardees are expected to:

• Collaborate with either the Futures Initiative Working Group or UVA Innovates to explore options for sustaining the project and expanding its impact over time.
• Participate in coordinated communications outreach.
• Provide quarterly progress updates to the Futures Grants Project Manager.
• Acknowledge the Futures Initiative in any presentations or publications resulting from the award.
• Submit a final report at the conclusion of the grant period.
• Comply with all UVA policies, including financial, conflict of interest, and research conduct guidelines.
   

Grant funding may support a broad range of efforts, with strong preference for activities that directly advance the project’s core objectives through experimenting, prototyping, and other creative work, as well as the piloting of new methods, tools, or technologies.

Secondary activities within the project scope may include:

• Community engagement, such as hosting workshops, seminars, or public events to share project findings and to broaden impact.
• Capacity-building efforts, such as training sessions for team members.
• Dissemination of results through publications, presentations, and conferences.
• Partnership development, including establishing collaborations with industry or community partners.

Futures Grants prioritize building and testing solutions. Funds may not support pure research without application goals; publication-only projects; individual professional development; standalone conferences; or indirect costs and administrative fees. 
 

Submit a single PDF that includes:

• Project Title and Abstract (200 words max)
• Project Description (1000 words max) making sure to address the above Evaluation Criteria
• Team Overview
  • CV of the project lead (2 pages max)
  • Brief bios of other team members
• Project Work Plan, Metrics, and Timeline (1 page max)
• Budget Overview and Justification (1 page max)

Email the file to futures@virginia.edu by Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. 

Are Humanities disciplines invited to apply?
Absolutely. Humanities scholars are essential to this work. Their expertise in ethics, interpretation, cultural analysis, and historical context helps define the stakes of innovation and shape its direction. Given the solutions-oriented focus of the program, we especially welcome projects that:

• Translate scholarship into tools – such as ethical frameworks for AI, interpretive layers for immersive media, or historically grounded civic technologies.
• Create public-facing outcomes – including digital exhibits, speculative design workshops, community archives, and narrative-driven prototypes.
• Reframe innovation through human values – ensuring that new ventures reflect cultural complexity, historical awareness, and ethical responsibility.

For the “community-driven focus” criterion, what is meant by “community”?
“Community” refers primarily to local residents and organizations in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. It may also include any extramural group your project engages or benefits – such as educators, healthcare providers, cultural institutions, or defined learning/practice-based communities – regardless of geography. Applicants should clearly identify the community and describe how its members will participate in shaping or implementing the team’s work.

Can undergraduate or graduate students lead a proposal?
Yes. Students bring fresh perspectives and naturally future-oriented thinking that align strongly with the mission of The Centrifuge. We welcome student-led proposals, though we encourage them to include faculty or staff advisors who can provide mentorship and institutional support. 

Can the Futures Initiative help me with team formation?
Yes. We’re committed to helping finalists strengthen their projects and will provide guidance and support throughout the process. If you have a strong project idea but need additional expertise or collaborators, the Futures Initiative Working Group can help identify faculty, staff, students, and external partners whose skills align with your proposal. If you’d like guidance before applying, contact us early to discuss potential connections.

What is the relationship between The Centrifuge and Futures Grants?
Futures Grants are the first funding mechanism launched under The Centrifuge. They serve as a proof-of-concept for The Centrifuge model – supporting fast-moving, multidisciplinary, community-driven pilot projects. The Futures Grants Program activates Centrifuge principles: problem-first framing, collaborative design, and rapid translation to impact.

How does The Centrifuge relate to UVA’s Grand Challenges?
The Centrifuge shares core goals with UVA’s Grand Challenges. Both aim to address urgent societal issues through creative, collaborative approaches. What sets The Centrifuge apart is its emphasis on agility, community co-creation, and focused multidisciplinary problem-solving. It complements Grand Challenges by offering a nimble, experimental space for early-stage ideas that may later scale into larger initiatives.

How is The Centrifuge related to UVA Innovates?
The Centrifuge complements UVA Innovates by focusing on translating ideas into real-world impact. While UVA Innovates emphasizes entrepreneurial outcomes, The Centrifuge takes a broader view of impactful solutions, including public, civic, and nonprofit applications. The Enterprise Studio, part of UVA Innovates, provides targeted support for commercialization and venture development.