Summer 2026

Welcome to RDInsights, a quarterly newsletter from the USF Research Development Institute (RDI). This newsletter will be one channel through which the RDI communicates updates from the Institute, funding opportunities, and other resources to enhance research success.

RDI STRATEGIC INITIATIVES: A MILESTONE YEAR FOR FACULTY SUPPORT, PARTNERSHIPS, AND FUNDING READINESS

This year marked a milestone for RDI’s Strategic Initiatives as we responded to a rapidly shifting federal landscape by creating flexible pathways for faculty across federal, industry, and community‑engaged research. Through new initiatives and partnerships with USF CONNECT, Florida High Tech Corridor, USF Technology Transfer, and the Office of Strategic Partnerships, more than 330 faculty participated in new programming the RDI helped design to expand funding readiness, collaboration, and impact.



New Initiatives Launched - AY 2025-2026

Interdisciplinary Innovators Exchange (IIE): Launched Fall 2025 with a yearlong focus on industry partnerships, this monthly series equipped researchers to pursue industry‑engaged research, innovation, and commercialization amid growing federal emphasis on translational outcomes. Eight sessions, a practical toolkit, and dedicated office hours helped demystify industry collaboration and accelerate partnership‑ready research. This collaborative exchange, brought to you by the RDI, USF CONNECT, FL High Tech Corridor, and Technology Transfer, will reconvene next academic year with enhanced content to advance industry collaboration and innovation outcomes. Impact: 207 faculty engaged, with a 100% recommendation rate.



Research Priorities in Focus: Piloted in Spring 2026, this competitive intelligence series helped faculty connect their work to emerging federal priorities and anticipate funding opportunities. Sessions on artificial intelligence and biomedical research delivered clear insight into fast developing trends and focus areas across agencies, reinforcing a more forward-looking approach. As one attendee noted, the presenter “helped put challenges that we see into context at a larger scale and enabled us to strategize proactively,” leaving with greater confidence about their direction moving forward. Next, the RDI will launch an expanded, recurring version of the series in Fall 2026.

Strategic Partnerships Accelerator Events: In collaboration with USF CONNECT, Florida High Tech Corridor, and the Office of Strategic Partnerships, these small, focused gatherings enabled deeper, action-oriented engagement with startups and community partners, with over 20 external connections made to university researchers. 

• Innovation at the Intersection: Health Innovation & Biomanufacturing: Connected USF faculty with USF CONNECT start-up companies working at the nexus of federal priorities and applied research, fostering matchmaking for interdisciplinary teams and joint proposals.

• ALICE in Focus: Data, Research, and Community Impact: Hosted with United Way Suncoast and the USF Office of Strategic Partnerships, this event bridged academic research and community‑based organizations by turning ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) data into evidence‑driven solutions addressing economic hardship.

Looking Ahead

Together, these initiatives strengthened USF’s research ecosystem by diversifying funding pathways, expanding partnerships, and positioning faculty for sustained impact—regardless of how the federal landscape continues to evolve.

Gathering of USF faculty and start-up companies at Innovation at the Intersection event, hosted at USF CONNECT in April 2026.

Follow-up conversations between USF faculty and United Way Suncoast community partners at ALICE in Focus event from Fall 2025.

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IN ACTION

ACROSS USF RESEARCH

The Research Development Institute (RDI) and USF Research are bringing partnership and engagement to life through hands-on research experiences.

On the St. Petersburg campus, RDI Associate Director John Johnson has helped lead the ONE USF Undergraduate Research Conference in collaboration with the Office of Student Engagement for Research & Innovation (SERI), while also advancing the Summer Academy for Investigative Learning (SAIL) REU. Led by Dr. Heather O’Leary, SAIL now partners with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Tampa Bay Waterkeeper to connect undergraduates with expert mentors and real-world, community-driven research. Students will present their work at the July 22 Summer Symposium, showcasing the impact of undergraduate research across USF.

Experiential learning was also on display through a collaboration between SERI’s Karen Garcia-McGowan and a Live Media Production course led by Christopher Campbell. Students supported the 2026 One USF Undergraduate Research Conference by developing a full engagement strategy—including branding, social media campaigns, and live-streamed interviews. On-site coverage connected them with many of the 115 presenters and helped engage more than 150 attendees, enhancing the visibility of student research while providing hands-on, portfolio-ready experience.

This spring, RDI Associate Director of Strategic Initiatives Dr. Miranda Mattingly launched “Sowing Strategic Stories,” an experiential partnership with Dr. Tingting Zhang’s graduate business course. Four graduate students collaborated with local food system partners—Kitchen Wit Teaching Kitchen, Packet Line Urban Farm, Homegrown Hillsborough, and 813Hood Garden—to produce digital stories and targeted marketing assets that highlight innovative approaches to agriculture and food access while building practical storytelling and strategy skills.

Together, these efforts reflect the RDI and USF Research’s commitment to immersive, partnership-driven learning that benefits students and the broader community.

Environmental science majors Owen Keener and Alex Andrade showcasing the underwater camera they developed at the ONE USF Undergraduate Research Conference. 

Photo from Sowing Strategic Stories initiative, capturing Tiffany Miller, founder of Kitchen Wit, providing hands-on nutrition education to K-12 students.

GET READY: SUMMER GRANT WRITING WORKSHOPS ARE A FEW WEEKS AWAY - REGISTER NOW!

Full Schedule



The Monday Message is a weekly update sent to participants, outlining the week ahead and sharing resources for early-career grant writers, including tools, templates, sample proposals, and funding opportunities. The June 1 edition will include the full course syllabus (also available in Canvas).

Wednesday Workshops (June 3–July 22, 12–2 p.m. EDT) are the core of the program, delivered live via Teams. Sessions are recorded and posted in Canvas for registered participants.

Funding Fridays (June 5–July 24, 3–5 p.m. EDT) offer optional, topic-specific sessions aligned with participants’ research interests. Most are recorded, though guest speaker sessions may not be. June 19 and July 3 will be open Q&A sessions.

Invited Speakers bring expert insights from funding agencies, peer reviewers, and experienced grant writers. Past sessions are available on the Summer Grant Writing Workshops Playlist.

Registration is still open.

USF faculty can participate for free using the code: RESEARCHBULLS26. 

RDI Welcomes Senior Fellow Russell Wyland, Creating New Humanities Grant Writing Field Guide

Russell M. Wyland, a longtime National Endowment for the Humanities leader, has joined the USF Research Development Institute as its inaugural senior fellow, where he will create an open‑access field guide to humanities grant writing. The guide will address modern funding challenges, interdisciplinary collaboration, evolving review processes, and the role of technology and AI in research development. Wyland will refine the guide through seminars and workshops with USF faculty and partners, aiming to strengthen national support for humanities scholars and position USF as a leader in research development Current page. His appointment builds on a distinguished 35‑year NEH career and reflects USF’s commitment to helping researchers navigate an increasingly complex funding landscape.

RDI’s Karen Walker Co‑Authors Paper Defining Competitive Intelligence for Higher ED

A new paper coauthored by USF RDI Associate Director Karen Walker offers the first comprehensive definition of competitive intelligence (CI) for higher education, positioning it as an essential tool for strategic research growth. The article explains how CI transforms raw data into actionable insights through expert analysis, helping universities anticipate funding trends, assess institutional strengths, and understand competitors. It highlights three core domains—sponsor intelligence, institutional capacity assessment, and competitor/partner analysis—and illustrates their impact through a case study demonstrating how CI guided a university’s decision to pursue major state funding. The authors conclude that as competition for research funding intensifies, CI will be a critical driver of institutional resilience and long‑term success in the academic research landscape.

FUELING FACULTY SUCCESS: THE POWER OF INTERNAL AWARDS

RDI’s recent analysis highlights the vital impact of internal awards in driving faculty success. Surveying recipients across three award programs over nine years, we found a clear and compelling story: strategic internal investments deliver real results.

Faculty consistently reported that these awards were instrumental in advancing their research goals—providing the support needed to move projects forward, generate new ideas, and expand their impact. The returns speak for themselves: each program produced an impressive $9 to $17 in external funding for every $1 invested.

Beyond financial returns, the benefits ripple across the academic ecosystem. Award recipients reported increased publications and presentations, along with greater engagement of both undergraduate and graduate students in research. These programs aren’t just funding opportunities—they’re catalysts for productivity, innovation, and student success.

NEW FEATURED SERIES: A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT CYBER FLORIDA OFFERS

& HOW TO PARTNER

Cyber Florida, established by the state and headquartered at the University of South Florida, is a strategic asset within the USF community, advancing cybersecurity through education, research, and outreach to support a safer, more resilient future.

As part of the USF family, Cyber Florida partners directly with faculty to accelerate ideas into action. We support research by helping identify funding opportunities, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and connecting faculty with industry and government partners. Our programs provide unique access to infrastructure, data, and resources, including the ARCS Range platform and Critical Infrastructure Risk Analysis data.

Cyber Florida collaborates with faculty across disciplines to advance applied and transitional research, experiential learning, and innovative approaches to broader impacts. From healthcare and critical infrastructure to policy, education, and emerging technologies, we help translate academic expertise into real-world solutions that strengthen cyber resilience and readiness.

In addition, our statewide initiatives in cybersecurity training, workforce development, and public-sector resilience create opportunities for faculty to co-develop and deliver educational programs while engaging in meaningful, applied research.

In this new regular newsletter feature, we will highlight specific ways to partner with Cyber Florida. In the meantime, we invite you to connect and explore opportunities.

USF Future of Food Think Tank Spring Convening

May 19th, 2026, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST 

TampaWell Community Garden & Food Pharmacy



Join us on May 19th for the Spring 2026 Convening of the USF Future of Food Think Tank, hosted at TGH’s TampaWell Community Garden & Food Pharmacy.

With strong momentum from our January forum, we’ll share our new business plan and explore how it shapes our path ahead. We will also dive deeper into food as medicine (FAM) and the innovative work emerging across Florida, including federal and regional FAM updates recently announced. As a culmination to our convening, we will have the opportunity to explore FAM Interventions firsthand through a guided tour of TGH's TampaWell Community Garden and Food Pharmacy, offering a closer look at their inspiring model, community impact, and beautiful space.

Now is your chance to join the conversation.

LIMITED SUBMISSION OPPORTUNITIES

(Apply through InfoReady)

Dept. of State Transatlantic Partnership Program: The U.S. Mission to Germany’s Public Diplomacy Section is seeking proposals for its Partnership Program, designed to strengthen U.S.–German relations in the lead-up to the U.S. 250^th anniversary. The program supports innovative projects that foster mutual understanding and collaboration with German audiences, with priority areas including STEM and space cooperation, sports diplomacy, countering anti-Semitism, and advancing free speech. Proposals must demonstrate strong U.S. involvement, clearly target German audiences, and include a strategic plan with measurable outcomes, along with a robust evaluation approach to assess impact. Internal Deadline: May 22, 2026; Agency Deadline: June 1, 2026

Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation: This grant is tailored for tenure-track faculty members in their first to fourth year at United States institutions, holding M.D. and/or Ph.D. degrees. It aims to support these early-career scientists in establishing their research projects to a point where they can secure NIH R01 or other independent funding. Internal Deadline: June 1, 2026; Agency Deadline: July 1, 2026

National Endowment for the Arts- Grants for Arts Projects: Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides project-based funding for organizations. Funded activities enable Americans throughout the nation to experience the arts, foster and celebrate America’s artistic heritage and cultural legacy, and benefit from arts education at all stages of life. We also support arts and health programs, including creative arts therapies, that advance the well-being of people and communities. Internal Deadline: June 1, 2026; Agency Deadline: July 9, 2026

Catalyst Award for Innovative Research Approaches for AMD: The Catalyst Awards for Innovative Research Approaches for Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) will provide funds to researchers who are working on novel approaches to understanding or treating AMD. Ideally, at least one of the awards given will focus on a translational project - clinically relevant research that could lead to therapeutics or treatment for AMD - not yet in clinical trials. Internal Deadline: June 1, 2026; Agency Deadline: July 1, 2026

FEDERAL RESEARCH NEWS & INSIGHTS

EXTERNAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Amazon Research Awards Program: The spring 2026 call for Amazon Research Awards (ARA) proposals is open, with opportunities for submission across the seven research areas: AI for Information Security, Agentic AI, Amazon 2030, Amazon Security, Build on Trainium: Accelerating Post-Training, Build on Trainium: Kernels for ML Acceleration, and Robotics. Submissions spanning theory, applied research, and novel techniques are encouraged. Application Deadline: May 13, 2026

Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy 2026 (Igniite 2026): (ARPA-E) The IGNIITE 2026 program is designed to support a new cohort of early-career innovators to develop the most disruptive and unconventional ideas into transformative new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications. This announcement is purposefully broad in technical scope, but eligibility is limited to early-career researchers as defined in Section II.A. In addition to research, awardees will engage with ARPA-E, fellow awardees, investors, and other government stakeholders through dedicated events, meetings, and mentorship activities. Deadline: May 29, 2026

Brain Injury Association of America - Research Grants Program: The BIAA’s Research Grants Program supports work aimed at understanding and treating chronic brain injury, with priorities that include neurodegenerative processes, long‑term effects of childhood TBI, excess mortality, chronic condition management, and social determinants of health. The program’s overarching goal is to accelerate research that can lead to better lifelong outcomes for people living with brain injury. Funding is available for Seed Grants (up to $25,000). There are two categories of seed grants: Young Investigator Grants that support the preparation of new investigations and Brain Injury Scholar Grants that support testing new hypotheses or using existing data to ask new questions. LOI Deadline: July 1, 2026

Agricultural Genome to Phenome Initiative - Research Grants (USDA/NIFA): The intent of the AG2PI program is to support the integration of various disciplines that can effectively harness the power of phenomics, genomics, engineering, genetic variations, and data science for improving the production and viability of crop and livestock species. Deadline: June 29, 2026

Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) The CDMRP is currently awaiting approval to post funding opportunities for the topics shown below. Applicants should plan for condensed timelines for submission of both pre- and full applications. Please see the link here for more information on each topic area.

SPECIAL SESSION FOR USF FACULTY:

Guggenheim Fellowship Webinar

Join this special information session on the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, which supports outstanding mid-career scholars, artists, and scientists across disciplines. The session will feature Laura Auricchio, Vice President and Secretary of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, who will offer insights on what makes a successful application and how to position your work competitively.

Who should attend:

This session is especially valuable for those considering applying in the upcoming or near-future cycles—particularly mid-career professionals with a strong record of achievement, such as:

• Associate Professors in later stages of rank and Full Professors
• Humanities scholars with significant publication records (e.g., multiple books or equivalent impact)
• STEM researchers with high-impact contributions
• Artists and creative practitioners with established bodies of work, including exhibitions, performances, or public engagement

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from Guggenheim leadership.

PRIVATE FOUNDATION FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Schmidt Sciences - AI Interpretability Program: The 2026 Schmidt Sciences AI Interpretability program funds research aimed at detecting and mitigating deceptive behaviors in large language models, with awards ranging from $300K to $1M. The program seeks innovative interpretability methods that can both identify when models are being misleading and steer them toward more truthful reasoning, with an emphasis on approaches that leverage model internals rather than black-box techniques. Deadline: May 26, 2026

March of Dimes - Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award: The Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award provides $150,000 over two years to early‑career investigators conducting impactful translational research that improves the health of pregnant women, moms, and newborns. The program prioritizes projects focused on preterm birth and health, with a clear path from discovery to clinical application. Eligible applicants are 4–9 years past terminal training and hold appropriate U.S.-based faculty or clinical‑department appointments. Deadline: May 29, 2026

Templeton Foundation - Life Sciences Grants: The Life Sciences funding area supports experimental, theoretical, and applied* work on the biological mechanisms that produce life in its diverse forms. The Foundation is interested in innovative projects ranging from smaller-scale, early-stage exploratory research (including pilot and proof-of-concept projects) to large, ambitious initiatives that seek transformative advances beyond incremental progress. Life Sciences supports projects in two sub-areas: (1) Emergent Properties and (2) Genetics and Genomics. Priorities for the 2026 funding cycle for each sub-area are outlined below. This year, a portion of our funding will be dedicated to a Foundation-wide Intelligence Venture. Deadline: July 15, 2026.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund - Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease: The Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease (PATH) program provides opportunities for assistant professors to bring multidisciplinary approaches to studying human infectious diseases. The program aims to provide accomplished investigators at the assistant professor level with opportunities to study what happens at the points where the systems of humans and potentially infectious agents connect. The program supports research that sheds light on the fundamentals that affect the outcomes of these encounters: how colonization, infection, commensalism, and other relationships play out at levels ranging from molecular interactions to systemic ones. Deadline: July 16, 2026

UPCOMING EVENTS & OPPRTUNITIES

NSF CAREER Program Webinar - May 19, 2026: U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) program directors will host an informative webinar this May to highlight the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) program (Solicitation NSF 22-586). The NSF CAREER program is a cornerstone initiative designed to support early-career faculty who demonstrate strong potential as academic leaders in both research and education. Awardees are expected to serve as role models within their institutions while advancing innovative work that aligns with their department’s or organization’s mission. The program emphasizes building a solid foundation for a career defined by the integration of research and education. 

NDIA 2026 Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference: The National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) invites abstracts for technical presentations and posters at the 2026 Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference, a forum highlighting innovations that will shape future national security. The event brings together government, industry, and academic experts to showcase emerging technologies aligned with top DoD mission priorities and to discuss rapid capability delivery. It also offers opportunities for defense procurement officials to outline acquisition needs and engage directly with industry. Abstract Deadline: May 20, 2026