Strategy 1 - Actions

Research Investments

1. Direct research investments to build a diverse faculty in areas of competitive advantage:

• Technological development with emphasis on bioengineering, nanotechnology, bioenvironmental studies, global management of technology, and computer technologies.
• Coastal water, environmental studies, and clean energy.
• Health, education, and well being of children and youth.
• Global health and public policy.
• Aging Studies.
• Urban Issues, including Transportation.
• Culture and the arts with emphasis on contemporary arts, new works, and cultural understanding.
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

2. Strengthen the capacity for interdisciplinary research in areas such as molecular research (cancer, drug development and delivery, cell signaling, counter bio-terrorism), nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing, materials diagnostics, material physics, biomedical physics, coastal and environmental research, entrepreneurship, behavioral health, aging studies, economic policy analysis, digital arts, and globalization (e.g., Southeastern Studies/India; Latin America and Caribbean Studies; the Diaspora).

3. Establish Endowed Professorships/Chairs in each area of competitive advantage.

4. Increase the number and diversity of postdoctoral appointments, including individuals from underrepresented groups, in science, health, and engineering disciplines.

5. Increase the number of faculty, including individuals from underrepresented groups, commensurate to that of major research universities so as to expand and support research, scholarship, and creative works.

Graduate Program Development

1. Establish new doctoral programs in interdisciplinary areas that have the greatest potential for achieving national distinction, e.g., biomedical engineering (PhD; MD/ PhD); nanotechnology; bioinformatics; applied geographical and environmental science; music; promote established interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs that have already are or are approaching national distinction.

2. Develop new master's programs that contribute directly to the economic, educational, cultural, and social vitality of the state, region and community, e.g., bioinformatics, transportation engineering management; and arts management/administration.

3. Elevate the rankings of selected terminal degrees in the arts to national status (MFA in Art; MM in Jazz, MFA in Dramatic Writing, Ph.D. in Music) and in architecture (M.Arch.).

4. Increase Presidential Fellowship award programs and focus new awards on programs with distinctive national presence.

Research Infrastructure

1. Enhance the capacity of USF to recruit and retain internationally recognized faculty, including individuals from underrepresented groups, who have high potential to contribute to the University's research mission:

• Improve investments in start-up packages to recruit an outstanding, diverse faculty
• Increase the number of faculty admitted to National Academies and receiving nationally competitive awards such as Fulbright Fellowships.
• Enhance support mechanisms for research needs of faculty in science and engineering, e.g., laboratory space and computational resources.
• Develop effective support systems for the research needs of faculty who engage in scholarly and creative activities in the visual and performing arts, e.g., studio space, exhibition and performance space, travel for performances/exhibitions.

• Expand faculty workshops and services to promote successful grant writing, fiscal responsibility, and effective utilization of IRB and compliance procedures.
• Improve the financial management information system supporting grant and contract activities.
• Enhance research administration support systems to ensure compliance with federal and state guidelines.

3. Achieve Association of Research Library (ARL) status for USF's library system.

• Expand and develop electronic, print, and multimedia collections of excellence.
• Enhance use of the Special Collections resources of national distinction e.g., Florida Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Bartok Music collection.
• Establish interdisciplinary research services in areas such as GIS, numeric data and digital imaging, and globalization.

4. Develop a Provost's Plan to Support Diversity in Research that encompasses university-wide as well as college-based goals and activities.

5. Accelerate USF's use of the national supercomputing facilities for research computing by upgrading and expanding the Beowulf array.

6. Enhance initiatives to examine ethical, legal, and procedural foundations for the responsible conduct of research, including technology development and transfer.

7. Intensify efforts to obtain full indirect costs on research grants and contracts, including those received from state agencies.

Research Facilities

1. Construct facilities to support interdisciplinary research in areas such as nanotechnology, health sciences, natural and environmental sciences as well as interdisciplinary instrumentation centers and science labs/research facilities; renovate Kopp Engineering facility to better support faculty research.

2. Enhance the space/facilities for graduate programs and scholarly activity in Music, Art and Architecture.

3. Enhance the safety and security of the research environment.

• Increase the level of physical security in labs through ongoing security analyses and Security Research Support Teams
• Create a comprehensive risk-assessment database to identify environmental and health safety risks of research activities, including a hazardous chemical inventory
• Implement a campus-wide building access control system
• Develop a Commissioning Program for Research Facilities.

4. Seek alternative funding opportunities to construct additional research facilities, e.g, Engineering IV, Instrumentation Centers, Interdisciplinary Science Complex.

5. Renovate and support an addition to the USF Research Library.

Research Park/Economic Development

1. Enhance the Research Park and incubator programs to link the global market place to the science/technology programs of USF.

2. Establish USF as a catalyst for economic development to propel the State of Florida into a leadership position in engineering and technological innovation and entrepreneurism.

3. Improve technology transfer processes.

4. Develop incubator spaces and services for start-up companies evolving from USF research and development activities.

5. Pursue private-sector research and development interests in promotion of USF's expertise and the development of the USF Research Park.

Research Investments

1. Direct research investments to build a diverse faculty in areas of competitive advantage:

• Technological development with emphasis on bioengineering, nanotechnology, bioenvironmental studies, global management of technology, and computer technologies.
• Coastal water, environmental studies, and clean energy.
• Health, education, and well being of children and youth.
• Global health and public policy.
• Aging Studies.
• Urban Issues, including Transportation.
• Culture and the arts with emphasis on contemporary arts, new works, and cultural understanding.
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

2. Strengthen the capacity for interdisciplinary research in areas such as molecular research (cancer, drug development and delivery, cell signaling, counter bio-terrorism), nanomaterials, nanomanufacturing, materials diagnostics, material physics, biomedical physics, coastal and environmental research, entrepreneurship, behavioral health, aging studies, economic policy analysis, digital arts, and globalization (e.g., Southeastern Studies/India; Latin America and Caribbean Studies; the Diaspora).

3. Establish Endowed Professorships/Chairs in each area of competitive advantage.

4. Increase the number and diversity of postdoctoral appointments, including individuals from underrepresented groups, in science, health, and engineering disciplines.

5. Increase the number of faculty, including individuals from underrepresented groups, commensurate to that of major research universities so as to expand and support research, scholarship, and creative works.

Graduate Program Development

1. Establish new doctoral programs in interdisciplinary areas that have the greatest potential for achieving national distinction, e.g., biomedical engineering (PhD; MD/ PhD); nanotechnology; bioinformatics; applied geographical and environmental science; music; promote established interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs that have already are or are approaching national distinction.

2. Develop new master's programs that contribute directly to the economic, educational, cultural, and social vitality of the state, region and community, e.g., bioinformatics, transportation engineering management; and arts management/administration.

3. Elevate the rankings of selected terminal degrees in the arts to national status (MFA in Art; MM in Jazz, MFA in Dramatic Writing, Ph.D. in Music) and in architecture (M.Arch.).

4. Increase Presidential Fellowship award programs and focus new awards on programs with distinctive national presence.

Research Infrastructure

1. Enhance the capacity of USF to recruit and retain internationally recognized faculty, including individuals from underrepresented groups, who have high potential to contribute to the University's research mission:

• Improve investments in start-up packages to recruit an outstanding, diverse faculty
• Increase the number of faculty admitted to National Academies and receiving nationally competitive awards such as Fulbright Fellowships.
• Enhance support mechanisms for research needs of faculty in science and engineering, e.g., laboratory space and computational resources.
• Develop effective support systems for the research needs of faculty who engage in scholarly and creative activities in the visual and performing arts, e.g., studio space, exhibition and performance space, travel for performances/exhibitions.

• Expand faculty workshops and services to promote successful grant writing, fiscal responsibility, and effective utilization of IRB and compliance procedures.
• Improve the financial management information system supporting grant and contract activities.
• Enhance research administration support systems to ensure compliance with federal and state guidelines.

3. Achieve Association of Research Library (ARL) status for USF's library system.

• Expand and develop electronic, print, and multimedia collections of excellence.
• Enhance use of the Special Collections resources of national distinction e.g., Florida Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, the Bartok Music collection.
• Establish interdisciplinary research services in areas such as GIS, numeric data and digital imaging, and globalization.

4. Develop a Provost's Plan to Support Diversity in Research that encompasses university-wide as well as college-based goals and activities.

5. Accelerate USF's use of the national supercomputing facilities for research computing by upgrading and expanding the Beowulf array.

6. Enhance initiatives to examine ethical, legal, and procedural foundations for the responsible conduct of research, including technology development and transfer.

7. Intensify efforts to obtain full indirect costs on research grants and contracts, including those received from state agencies.

Research Facilities

1. Construct facilities to support interdisciplinary research in areas such as nanotechnology, health sciences, natural and environmental sciences as well as interdisciplinary instrumentation centers and science labs/research facilities; renovate Kopp Engineering facility to better support faculty research.

2. Enhance the space/facilities for graduate programs and scholarly activity in Music, Art and Architecture.

3. Enhance the safety and security of the research environment.

• Increase the level of physical security in labs through ongoing security analyses and Security Research Support Teams
• Create a comprehensive risk-assessment database to identify environmental and health safety risks of research activities, including a hazardous chemical inventory
• Implement a campus-wide building access control system
• Develop a Commissioning Program for Research Facilities.

4. Seek alternative funding opportunities to construct additional research facilities, e.g, Engineering IV, Instrumentation Centers, Interdisciplinary Science Complex.

5. Renovate and support an addition to the USF Research Library.

Research Park/Economic Development

1. Enhance the Research Park and incubator programs to link the global market place to the science/technology programs of USF.

2. Establish USF as a catalyst for economic development to propel the State of Florida into a leadership position in engineering and technological innovation and entrepreneurism.

3. Improve technology transfer processes.

4. Develop incubator spaces and services for start-up companies evolving from USF research and development activities.

5. Pursue private-sector research and development interests in promotion of USF's expertise and the development of the USF Research Park.