Bicentennial Professors Fund

SIF136, SIF154, SIF161, SIF169, SIF175 -closed

SIF190 Bicentennial Professors Fund -active

Bicentennial Professors Giving to UVA 

Project Manager: Mark Luellen

BoV Approved: 

December 2017 (first award of $75M)
April 2018 (second award of $20M)
December 2018 (third award of $75M)
April 2020 (fourth award of $50M derived from $29.9M reallocation of previous awards and $20.1M new funding)
January 2023 (fifth award of $30M new funding: $10M for general use and $20M for University Professorships)
April 2023 (award increased $4M, reallocated from Bicentennial Scholars award). 
September 2023 (award ceiling was decreased by $6M with the reallocation of the funds from SIF175)
 

Project Start Date: 12/09/2017

Total Funding: Up to $218,110,220

Current Status: Active

Impact:

The purpose of this award is to establish a matching fund to incentivize donors to create endowed professorships.

Executive Summary

As it prepares to enter its third century of offering one of the best educational experiences in the nation, the University of Virginia is making bold commitments to secure its prominence in the world of higher education. Among them is the Bicentennial Professors Fund. The investment will enable the creation of an estimated 70 endowed professorships, covering not only the salaries for emerging, mid- career and distinguished scholars, but other essential expenses such as the recruitment of graduate students and the acquisition of laboratory space. UVA Today story from March 2020

Progress January 2026

The Bicentennial Professorship Program has generated a significant long-term impact on faculty excellence and investment at the University.
• Total Funds Raised: $332 million
• University Matching Funds: $230 million
• Total Program Value: $562 million
 

Professorship Status
125 have been established or pledged:
• 77 are currently filled
• 39 are currently available to fill (12 of these were filled previously)
• 9 are pending availability
 

Endowed University Professorships (Highest Tier)
13 total
• 6 filled
• 3 searches
• 4 pending availability
 

Recruitment and Retention with Bicentennial Professorships
• 45 new faculty recruited to UVA; 16 in 2025
• 35 current faculty recognized; 9 in 2025

See full report: HERE

New Investment Continues Momentum of Bicentennial Professors Fund

President Jim Ryan on Friday announced that the University of Virginia will invest an additional $50 million into the Bicentennial Professors Fund, a key tool that uses University matching funds to multiply the impact of philanthropic support for endowed professorships.

Since the fund’s creation in 2017, approximately 100 professorships have been endowed through the co-investment of donors and the University – strengthening both the quality of the faculty and UVA’s ability to attract the best instructors as it enters its third century.

Through the end of January, alumni, parents and friends of the University had contributed nearly $195 million for Bicentennial Professorships, with the University providing a match of $127.5 million, for a total of $322 million in faculty support across the institution. The fund is expected to support nearly 150 endowed professorships when complete.  Read more...

dome room
Posted on UVAToday | By McGregor McCance
March 9, 2020