The University of South Florida (USF) has achieved a record-breaking $750 million in research funding for Fiscal Year 2025. This marks an $11.6 million increase over last year and a remarkable 37% growth in funding since 2022.
This significant boost in funding will enable USF to expand its capacity to tackle critical challenges, drive scientific and technological breakthroughs, and create new opportunities across various fields. Areas poised for growth include health care, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, environmental resilience, hurricane response, and more.
“The University of South Florida is committed to solving real-world challenges, and our record research funding bringing us closer to our goal of $1 billion in funding by 2030 provides more opportunities for our faculty, staff and students to turn bold ideas into innovation and impact,” said USF President Rhea Law. “Our world-class researchers remain at the forefront of discoveries that are improving lives and shaping a better future for our region, state, and nation.”
### Diverse Funding Sources
This year’s research funding came from several sources, including a record $284 million from 733 private and industry partners, reflecting a 17% increase from the previous year. A notable example is the partnership between the USF Institute of Applied Engineering (IAE) and Washington, D.C.-based astrophysics startup Rhea Space Activity. Together, they provided flight safety qualification testing services for a sensor designed to operate in space.
“From on-demand troubleshooting and design-for-space consulting to testing devices against industry standards for temperature, vibration, and radio emissions, IAE staff enabled rapid technology developers to flourish,” said IAE Chief Operating Officer Taylor Johnston.
### Federal Investment and Research Highlights
Federal agencies also made substantial contributions, donating $384 million toward projects focused on workforce development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more.
The National Science Foundation supported USF Professors Yao Liu and Tempestt Neal from the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing for their research on how cyberattacks exploit Wi-Fi localization systems in GPS mapping.
Additionally, the National Institutes of Health awarded USF Professor Yael Bensoussan $4.2 million for her innovative AI-enabled research using voice analysis to detect disease.
“We are grateful for the support of our state and federal partners, which empowers our faculty to conduct groundbreaking research that addresses critical challenges in our communities and beyond,” said USF Provost and Executive Vice President Prasant Mohapatra. “As we monitor federal funding developments, we remain committed to expanding our impact through collaborations with federal and state agencies and cultivating new partnerships with private industry.”
### State and Local Government Support
State and local government funding for USF research rose 23% over last year, increasing to $82 million. These funds support key programs in health care, environmental resilience, and K-12 education.
Significant state grants were awarded to establish the Florida Center for Emergency Medical Services in downtown Tampa, support the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation at the College of Marine Science, and assist the Institute for School-Community Partnership in a statewide reading achievement initiative aimed at improving literacy rates among elementary school students.
### Growth Across USF Colleges
Among USF colleges, the Health Morsani College of Medicine received $483 million in funding, accounting for 64% of USF’s total research funds. However, the College of Marine Science demonstrated the greatest growth, increasing its funding by 27% to $23 million.
With this historic level of research investment, the University of South Florida continues to strengthen its position as a leader in innovation and discovery, benefiting the region, state, and nation.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/763801-usf-grows-research-funding-to-750m/
