Enabling discoveries that enrich and improve lives is one of the strategic goals of The 2030 Plan.
Since 2021, the University has committed over $200 million in strategic funds toward research in the five Grand Challenges focus areas: Democracy, Environmental Resilience, Precision Medicine/Health, Brain & Neuroscience, and Digital Technology & Society. This work overlaps with our efforts to strengthen the University’s research infrastructure and positions us to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges.
The UVA Democracy focus area will facilitate a deeper understanding of democratic principles, and examine the broad issues, challenges and opportunities facing democracies today. Our approach will be capacious, comprehensive and multidisciplinary, and rely upon research, teaching and engagement in public affairs.
The UVA Environmental Resilience and Sustainability focus area aims to advance our understanding of the demands for earth’s natural resources and develop innovative ways to meeting them in a sustainable manner, including considerations for increasing the capacity for natural and human systems to continue to function and develop in the face of rapid environmental change.
The UVA Precision Medicine/Health focus area aims to develop new understanding of the genetics, epigenetics, proteomics, and metabolomics of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders, and develop personalized therapies for patients.
The UVA Brain & Neuroscience focus area aims to advance neuroscience through discoveries leading to the understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nervous system development, how it operates, and what goes wrong in disease conditions.
The UVA Digital Technology & Society focus area aims to advance digital technologies to improve the quality of life for humans through its pervasive impact in healthcare, transportation, education, arts, sustainable environment, and digital communication, while simultaneously ensuring that the digital technologies achieve the intended purpose of improving the human condition.