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February 13, 2024

Conducting high-impact research is part of our core mission at USF and a big reason why we were invited to join the Association of American Universities. Today we are announcing some terrific news that shows our university's research enterprise is on the rise.

According to new data we recently submitted to the National Science Foundation, USF’s research expenditures totaled $461 million in fiscal year 2023, an impressive 14% increase over last year. NSF does not release data on how universities compare until later in the year, however, if we look at last year’s rankings, $461 million would have placed USF No. 2 in Florida and No. 41 nationally among public universities.

Of our total research spending, nearly 53% comes from funds awarded by federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and NSF. At $42 million, the USF Health Diabetes and Endocrinology Center generated the most research expenditures of any unit at USF.

The growth in our total research expenditures signals that we are moving in the right direction toward our goal of enhancing our university’s reputation for excellence in research and innovation, and it is a testament to the hard work of our innovative faculty whose efforts help strengthen USF’s position as a leader in solving problems, improving lives and creating a healthier future for our communities.

I invite you to look at a more detailed breakdown of some of the areas that experienced significant growth over the past year here.

Updates

• We are proud to have several programs included among the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Online Programs rankings released last week. Our performance in the rankings reflects our university’s commitment to delivering high-quality online instruction that meets the educational needs of our students and the workforce needs of our region and state and would not be possible without our faculty and staff’s commitment to student success.

• Yesterday I joined the Muma College of Business and the Tampa Bay Partnership at the State of the Region Luncheon as they unveiled the findings from two new reports focusing on the economic health and competitiveness of the Tampa Bay region. This event was especially meaningful for me, as I previously served as board chair of the Tampa Bay Partnership when the coalition joined forces with USF to collaborate on this insightful research initiative. You can read more about the findings in this year’s reports here.

• Our women student-athletes are making tremendous accomplishments in competition and the classroom, and I was inspired to learn more about their achievements at the Stampede for Women Luncheon, an annual celebration hosted by USF Athletics in conjunction with National Girls & Women in Sports Day. Since its launch several years ago, the Stampede for Women initiative has continued to raise awareness for the importance of sport in the lives of young women and it has empowered our student-athletes to succeed through invaluable mentorship and professional development opportunities.

• Our men’s basketball team is having a fantastic season and there are two opportunities in the coming days to support them. On Saturday the team won their ninth straight conference game, a school record, and they are now in sole possession of first place in the American Athletic Conference. In a preseason poll, the Bulls were picked to finish ninth in the conference — and now, they are battling for the regular season championship! This week we host two nationally televised games at the Yuengling Center – tomorrow night against Tulsa and at noon on Sunday against FAU, a team that made the Final Four last season. You can review the schedule and purchase tickets here.

• The USF Engineering Expo is a longstanding tradition at our university, and I was amazed by the variety of interactive exhibits and presentations available at this fantastic event. Each year, the College of Engineering welcomes thousands of K-12 students and members of the community to explore STEM education activities hosted both at USF and across the Tampa Bay region. I commend those who helped coordinate this year’s event for providing this engaging experience for our communities.

Additional University News Sources

• USF Newsroom

• St. Petersburg campus

• Sarasota-Manatee campus

• USF Health

• USF Athletics

The New York Times quoted USF Professor Brad E. Rosenheim in a story about increased temperatures found in Caribbean sea sponges and the implications of this discovery for climate research.

National Geographic quoted USF Associate Professor Jason Gulley in a story about a network of inhospitable ice caves atop Mount Rainier and research conducted to help map them.

USA Today quoted USF Research Assistant Professor Jochen Braunmiller in a story about a magnitude 4 earthquake detected off the east coast of Florida.

USF is hosting two family friendly events on Saturday, March 2: Rocky’s Run, a 5K event welcoming participants of all levels, and Bulls Family Fest, a post-race celebration and free community event showcasing the wide array of offerings available at USF for K-12 students and their families. Both events are open to the public and proceeds from the 5K will benefit student scholarships for programs hosted by USF’s Office of Youth Experiences. You can learn more and register to participate here.

Inside USF: The Newsletter is published every other week.

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For reasonable disability accommodations requests pertaining to this announcement, please contact one of our offices.