Sponsored Research
General Information Blurb
This general blurb is for researchers to use in grant proposals. Please feel free to download the MS Word Version and revise as needed. While USFRI makes every effort to provide the most frequently used data and information in this blurb, institutional data may be needed that is not maintained by USFRI but maintained centrally by other areas. For questions, contact Sponsored Research, phone (813) 974-2897.
The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. In 2023 USF joined the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). USF is the first public university in Florida to be invited to join the AAU in nearly 40 years and is now one of only two institutions from the State University System of Florida to serve as an AAU member. USF is also one of the youngest institutions to be welcomed into the AAU, a reflection of the university’s fast rise. Of the association’s now 71 members, USF is the fifth youngest and one of only six AAU universities to be founded after 1950.
USF rose to #42 among public universities and #97 among all public and private universities in the 2023 U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) National University Rankings. USF is the fastest-rising university in America, as no university in the country has risen higher in the USNWR rankings over the past 10 years than USF. Serving 50,000 students on campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee, USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, placing it in the most elite category among the state’s 12 public universities. USF is home to medical clinics and hospitals, a major mental health research institute, and a public broadcasting station. The university employs nearly 2,000 full-time instructional faculty and over 5,000 full-time staff. With a total of 16,277 employees, USF is the 14th largest public employer in Florida. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. It has a $2.05 billion annual budget, and an annual economic impact of $6.02 billion.
One of 12 universities within the State University System of Florida, USF is one of the nation’s top public research universities and a leading metropolitan research university. USF has 14 colleges: Arts and Sciences, The Arts, Behavioral & Community Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Global Sustainability, Honors, Marine Science, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, and Graduate Studies. The university offers 244 degree programs, including the doctor of medicine: 91 bachelor programs, 103 master programs, two education specialist degree programs, 43 research doctoral programs, and five professional doctoral programs. The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs is the center for all academic operations and functions at the university. USF Tampa is recognized among the top 50 four-year public colleges and universities by The Chronicle of Higher Education (2019) for Best 6-year Graduation Rate for Pell Students. among 4-year public colleges and universities. USF ranks #4 in student success among 1,100 public research and doctoral universities according to the 2018 Eduventures Student Success ratings. In addition, U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) ranked USF Tampa as a Best College for Veterans (2022-2023).
The university is dedicated to the discovery of new knowledge, insights, and forms of expression through significant innovative research and other creative activity, and to the preservation, organization, analysis, and synthesis of existing knowledge. The USF Tampa campus is one of the nation’s top public research university campuses and one of only 80 public research university campuses classified by the Carnegie Foundation as both a Doctoral University with “Very High Research Activity” and as a “Community Engaged” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The title of “Very High Research Activity” is a distinction attained by less than 4% of all post-secondary institutions. USF is one of four public universities in the state of Florida classified as such (2023). As a leading publicly supported university, USF accomplishes its research mission by building on existing program strengths, fostering effective, transdisciplinary approaches, and contributing to the resolution of social, cultural, economic, medical and technological challenges facing the metropolitan population of our community, state, nation and the world.
USF faculty, students and staff are proactive in the search for new knowledge and consistently demonstrate their concern about the world in which we live. With the support of private and public agencies, they contribute to our knowledge about the world and apply their findings and skills to solving many of the problems facing contemporary society. Many contributions evolve from basic research; others, from practical applications of new knowledge. Other projects make specialized training available to public officials, organizations working for social betterment, religious and educational institutions, and business and manufacturing organizations. Through sponsored and non-sponsored activities, USF faculty, students and staff make significant contributions to instructional programs.
USF is among the top 15 U.S. public universities for granted U.S. patents according to the National Academy of Inventors (2023) and has ranked in the top 15 among American public universities for 10 consecutive years. The university supports economic development and the translation of USF research and technologies to the marketplace, through an active Technology Transfer Office and USF CONNECT, the economic development arm of the university. USF’s Tampa Bay Technology Incubator is currently home to more than 60 resident and affiliate companies and growing. It is the only tech business incubator in the region to support bio and life science companies with state-of-the-art wet labs. Over 50% of TBTI companies focus on bio/life sciences and biotechnology and approximately 43% are commercializing technologies developed by USF researchers.
USF has numerous research and health care partnerships through affiliation agreements with hospitals and not-for-profit organizations in the metropolitan Tampa Bay area, including the U.S. Geological Survey. As a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Moffitt Cancer Center, located on the USF Tampa campus, is part of an elite group of cancer centers nationwide that focus on the quick translation of research advances to improvements in patient care and has developed a strong national reputation for excellence.
The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine System is affiliated with the following major participating institutions: Tampa General Hospital, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, Morton Plant/Mease Hospital, C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. These facilities provide training for USF Health Residents, fellows and medical students in the Tampa Bay area. In January of 2020, a brand-new medical building in the heart of downtown Tampa was opened to house the Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute. Its proximity to Tampa General Hospital will be an invaluable asset moving forward with the partnership between Tampa General and the University of South Florida. Additional research and training is also provided by the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital on the USF campus, the facilities of the Florida Hospital network, Bayfront Medical Center, and the USF Health outpatient clinics and research facilities, which include the USF Health Neuroscience Institute (Home of the Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr., Alzheimer’s Center) on the USF Tampa campus.
Affiliate partnerships established with such organizations as Mote Marine Laboratory have expanded the research and development capacities, student educational opportunities, and economic development impact of USF. Affiliation agreements with organizations normally provide for collaboration through shared facilities, faculty, and equipment, as well as support for graduate students and internship programs. These types of agreements enable the institutions to pool resources, such as laboratory space, and enable compliance committees to stimulate an exchange of ideas.
Throughout the university's development, the faculty at USF have identified and satisfied needs on a local, national and global scale. A variety of activities in such areas as health care, heart health, neuroscience, transportation, informatics, cybersecurity, education and engineering are conducted by specialized research and development centers and institutes. The university currently has over 100 such centers and institutes, many of which function in an interdisciplinary fashion, enabling coordination of projects across colleges.
From developing sources of clean energy, to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities, and leading the way in translating the discoveries of our researchers into new products, companies and jobs, USF’s research, innovation and economic development enterprise is focused on creating local, national and global solutions to society’s most difficult problems.
Last updated: 6/29/2023