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RDInsights, Fall 2026 edition
a quarterly newsletter from
USF Research Development Institute (RDI)
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UPDATES FROM THE
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (RDI)
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With the new academic year underway, the RDI team welcomes faculty and research teams back. We are excited to share in our newsletter several ways RDI is enhancing its support ecosystem to help researchers navigate emerging opportunities and translate bold ideas into funded outcomes.
Great research deserves a strong strategy, and the RDI is here to partner with investigators to strengthen large-scale proposal competitiveness, foster strategic collaborations, and navigate the path to submission. At every stage of the research journey, RDI serves as a thought partner, helping transform promising ideas into compelling opportunities for investment.
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FUNDER ANNOUNCEMENT:
NSF ANNOUNCES 12 NEW FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
| | The National Science Foundation has unveiled a broad new portfolio of foundational research funding opportunities, supporting transformative, cross-disciplinary research and rapid exploratory projects across multiple scientific fields. Faculty are encouraged to explore the 12 new NOFOs and begin positioning proposals that align with NSF priorities and the unique scope of each funding mechanism. | | |
INNOVATORS EXCHANGE RETURNS:
NEW INDUSTRY READINESS FOCUS &
ENGAGMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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Innovators Exchange is back and using the 2026-2027 academic year to evolve from exploration to action by helping faculty strengthen industry engagement, innovation, and commercialization pathways. This year’s series introduces new hands-on workshops, industry fireside chats, and networking opportunities designed to help researchers assess and advance the partnership potential of their work.
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Next Up: What Makes Research “Industry-Ready”? A Faculty Panel Discussion
Join the Innovators Exchange on October 19 (11 AM - 12 PM EST, Microsoft Teams) as USF faculty with established industry relationships share how they recognized the commercial and partnership potential of their work and the steps they took to develop this potential. Learn what attracts industry interest and practical first steps for positioning research for future collaboration and impact.
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NEW TOOL ALERT - ATOM GRANTS
AI FOR RESEARCH FUNDING
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Atom Grants is an AI-powered research development platform engineered to transform how academic investigators discover, identify, and track external funding opportunities. Rather than relying on keyword searches, the system autonomously builds dynamic researcher profiles from public scholarly signals to intelligently match investigators with relevant opportunities across more than 30,000 funders. The platform delivers highly targeted search results, proactively screens eligibility, and uncovers non-obvious funding avenues to maximize research impact.
Even better news, Atom Grants is available to
USF faculty free of charge!
All faculty should have access to Atom Grants. Simply click on the button below and use USF single sign on information.
| Still having trouble accessing Atom Grants--no problem! Contact us at John Johnson at jtj2@usf.edu. |
INNOVATION AT THE INTERSECTION: BIOMEDICAL INNOVATION & ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE | |
** Limited seats available. Registration required **
As federal priorities increasingly emphasize innovation, commercialization, and real-world impact, researchers must proactively identify opportunities and build strategic partnerships. This interactive event brings USF faculty, startup leaders, and innovation partners together through lightly facilitated networking to explore emerging biomedical and AI research priorities, collaboration potential, unsolicited proposal strategies, and evolving SBIR/STTR opportunities.
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Following the Federal Investment Landscape:
AI and Quantum
October 26th, 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST, Microsoft Teams
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Artificial intelligence and quantum science are rapidly emerging as defining priorities within the federal research enterprise, driving investment strategies in economic competitiveness, national security, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and scientific discovery. This session explores the competitive intelligence behind these priorities, examining where investments are accelerating, how agencies are approaching convergence between AI and quantum technologies, and what these trends reveal about funding directions. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the evolving innovation landscape and strategies for identifying alignment opportunities to aid positioning their research within some of the nation's most significant, fast-moving investment areas.
Brought to you by the USF Research Development Institute, the Research Priorities in Focus series delivers timely intelligence on emerging federal priorities, helping researchers anticipate opportunities and position their work for future impact.
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INTERNAL AWARDS:
RESEARCH SUPPORT AT EVERY STAGE
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Innovation starts with opportunity. USF's Internal Awards Program offers funding to help researchers pursue new ideas, generate preliminary results, expand research capacity, and strengthen their path toward larger external funding opportunities. Now is the perfect time to explore what's available!
| | HUMANITIES FUNDING EXPERTISE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS - MEET DR. RUSS WYLAND | |
USF faculty have access to one of the nation's most experienced humanities grant professionals. Meet with Dr. Russell Wyland, former NEH leader and Senior Research Fellow with the USF Research Development Institute, for personalized guidance on funding opportunities, project positioning, and proposal development to strengthen your competitiveness for external funding.
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FEATURED SERIES:
CYBER FLORIDA - A RESEARCH RESOURCE
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While Cyber Florida is known for providing cybersecurity resources to underserved counties and municipalities, the organization is also a valuable research partner for USF faculty. The team provides a variety of services to assist faculty in applying for, securing, and managing grant funding.
Cyber Florida hosts an in-house grant proposal team that can help with proposal writing and preparation, budget planning and management, and grant management upon award. There is also funding available through Cyber Florida for proposal peer review, travel, external mentors to support CAREER and YIP proposal development, and other grant proposal needs.
Additionally, Cyber Florida can support proposals and projects that involve public outreach or an event component. Cyber Florida’s in-house outreach team can provide full event management services, from contracting a venue and capturing registration to onsite day-of hospitality, such as managing attendee check-in. The team can also provide email, social media, and paid digital marketing campaign management services, including content creation, production scheduling, and graphic design. We have professional video and podcast production capabilities, as well as external website building and support expertise.
Finally, Cyber Florida’s network of 20,000+ engaged contacts spans the public and private sectors. In addition to offering opportunities to connect with private sector research partners, this robust network may be leveraged to request community letters of support and guest speakers and mentors for classes and projects.
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The Research Corporation for Science Advancement (RCSA) Team Science Accelerator: Supports interdisciplinary teams pursuing high-risk, high-reward research in the physical sciences, providing up to $1 million plus team science training, mentoring, and coaching to accelerate collaborative discovery and research impact. LOI Deadline: November 9, 2026
DOW MURI (Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative): Supports high-impact, interdisciplinary research teams tackling complex scientific and engineering challenges of strategic importance to the U.S. Department of Defense, with the goal of enabling transformative advances that extend beyond the scope of a single discipline. 16 topic areas for consideration. Whitepaper Due: November 20, 2026
NIH Development of Collaborative Research Facilities or Research-Resource Facilities (LIMITED SUBMISSION): Supports the construction or modernization of shared-use research infrastructure, core facilities, and collaborative research spaces that enable high-impact biomedical and HIV/AIDS research and serve broad scientific communities. Limited Submission Deadline: December 1, 2026; Proposal Deadline: January 25, 2027
NSF 26-525: Expeditions in Computing (Expeditions): Supports large, multidisciplinary research teams pursuing bold, long-term foundational computing research with the potential to transform the future of computer and information science through disruptive discoveries and innovations. Preliminary Proposal (required): December 2, 2026; Full Proposal (invitation only): July 27, 2027
NEH Landmarks of American History and Culture and Summer Institutes Program: Supports organizations in developing immersive humanities-focused professional development experiences that deepen K-12 and higher education educators’ understanding of significant American historical, cultural, and civic topics. Deadline: December 9, 2026
DOE Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (OREM) Science Education and Internship Program: Supports students and recent graduates with hands-on fellowship opportunities in engineering, environmental remediation, and the physical sciences while contributing to the cleanup, modernization, and transformation of nationally significant research and security sites. Deadline: November 1, 2026
| | UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPRTUNITIES | | | | |
