It’s hard to get grants with just ideas. In this day and age, you need somebody who’s going to take a risk on you. We had some great ideas and we’ve done some things together in other tissues but never in the brain. So this is our first venture into the brain and it was really the 3C seed money that helped us get there.

The 3C funding initiative has allowed us to pursue a ‘high risk, high reward’ research initiative that otherwise would have not occurred.

The trust this grant extended to faculty and amount of autonomy involved in the entire process has been refreshing and motivating. I love that all three schools involved in the grant contributed funds that got matched by central funding. Seems like a great way to multiply the funds available to research faculty. I haven’t encountered a better grant process in my academic career.

The 3C model of bringing together top researchers to pursue an idea they are passionate about is a great example of UVA making space for creativity and impact.