The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships at UVM has awarded $2.5 million in funding to launch or expand 16 university-community partnerships targeting solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Vermont.

More than 31 public, private and nonprofit organizations and 25 UVM faculty, staff and students will participate in projects tackling rural health care access, energy costs, support for entrepreneurs, municipal capacity, and soil health. This is the Leahy Institute’s third round of grants supporting Vermont communities. 

Heather Darby
Heather Darby of UVM Extension, a Round 2 grant awardee, speaks at the Borderview Research Farm. 

“Our land grant mission is to serve people, to serve the state, to serve the future,” said UVM President Marlene Tromp.  “These grants bring this mission to life by supporting solutions deeply rooted in the needs of Vermont communities. By combining the power of partnerships, rural innovation and research excellence, these projects exemplify our efforts to advance the Green Mountain State.” 

The 16 funded projects include: 

  • Microbots for Microplastics Removal in Lakes and Rivers: UVM’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Research Associates are partnering to create a field-deployable system that combines microscopic robots (microbots) with an amphibious robot to retrieve microplastics in Vermont’s lakes and rivers.  

  • Asthma Therapy for Children in Rural Schools: This phase-two grant will pilot school-based asthma therapy in 10 rural Vermont schools, enabling nurses to provide daily medications to students with persistent asthma to improve health outcomes, boost attendance, and develop a scalable model for rural pediatric care. 

  • Affordable Solar Energy on Vermont Barns: A collaboration between Verde Technologies, UVM, and the Land Care Cooperative will pilot lightweight thin-film solar panels on Vermont barns to model a scalable approach to clean energy that preserves rural heritage while reducing energy costs. 

  • Building Vermont’s Bioeconomy: Vermont Technology Alliance (VTTA) and UVM BioLabs Innovation Center are partnering to strengthen Vermont’s fragmented bioeconomy by unifying data, fostering collaboration, and developing statewide talent pipelines.  

  • Community Needs Assessment: UVM Extension researchers will develop the Vermont Analysis of Need (VAN), a statewide, publicly accessible platform that maps Vermont’s community-level needs and the entities addressing them.  

  • Non-Profit Learning Lab for Research Sharing: Common Good Vermont, UVM’s MPA Program, and Leaves of Change VT are teaming up to launch Co-Lab, a new initiative exploring shared services and collaborative models for rural nonprofits.  

"Together, UVM and community organizations can spark real change across Vermont—creating impact and inspiring engagement. With gratitude to the Leahy Institute Board of Advisors, whose vision guided us toward the greatest opportunities." — Tricia Coates, Director of UVM’s Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships

11 of these projects received partnership grants ranging from $100,000 to $250,000. 5 of the projects received capacity grants of $20,000, which help grantees establish new partnerships and develop proof-of-concept for their ideas. 

In the past three years, UVM’s Leahy Institute has provided $6.5 million in funding to catalyze 45 community partners targeting eight focus areas, including resilient energy, regenerative agriculture, and access to health care in rural areas.  

 

To learn more about this year’s grant winners, please visit our website.

 

 

The Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships operates alongside the Office of Engagement to build collaborations between the University of Vermont and state partners for the benefit of our rural places.