We are coming to the end of a busy fall semester at the University of Virginia and looking ahead to winter break. 

We are continuing to work on Grand Challenges initiatives and making key investments to help grow research at UVA in our five strategic areas. We are investing in University-wide cores to give faculty the resources necessary to embolden new research like a clinical trials unit, a data analytics center to assist faculty with data-intensive research, a digital technology core to assist faculty who want to use apps, websites, wearables, and other technology in their research, and a clinical data warehouse/ health data enclave. These, along with other investments, will provide increased resources for our faculty. 

Here are also some of the Grand Challenges initiatives that our researchers are working on:

• The Digital Technology for Democracy Initiative will focus on how digital technology can support democracy, particularly in the age of artificial intelligence. 
• The Precision Health for Populations Initiative will help improve outcomes and reduce disparities for communities and populations – ranging from reducing cancer in rural communities to developing scalable digital interventions to support young people. 
• The Appalachia Clean Energy Climate Collaborative will explore how Appalachia could benefit from the clean energy revolution. 
• The Clean Water in India Climate Collaborative will research how women in India can be supported as change agents when it comes to water security in an area with increased flooding. 

We hope you and your family have a happy and peaceful holiday season!

All the best,

Fred