If the numbers mean anything, UCF researchers are making a significant IMPACT in their respective fields of study. I used to be amazed by the great stuff I knew was going on here. Now I have to add that I’m even more amazed by all the stuff that I didn’t know about.

It’s a good time to remind UCF researchers of the assistance that the university provides to faculty in their academic and research pursuits. There are six different programs available. To help faculty obtain major equipment, UCF offers the President’s Major Equipment Initiative. This $1 million dollar fund provides up to 50 percent of the cost associated with the purchase of major research equipment.

The In-House research program provides $150,000 per year, in $7,500 grants, to new faculty. The goal is to acclimate new faculty to the world of sponsored research. The funding often provides for summer salaries or student support.

The UCF/UF Space-related research program supports collaborative research between the University of Florida and UCF. The program’s main focus is to provide matching funds to help make joint proposals more competitive.

The Matching Funds for Federal Agencies (MFFA) program provides funding that can be leveraged to increase Federal funding to UCF.

The Undergraduate Research Initiative provides dollar-for-dollar matching support up to $3,000 per year per student for researchers who use undergraduates in their research programs. The goal is to increase the number of undergraduates in research and to encourage them to pursue graduate-level research and study.

The Florida High Tech Corridor program provides matching funds to support research between Florida-based industry and UCF. The three options under this program include an open call, an annual competitive call that provides a higher matching rate, and a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) component targeting SBIR partnerships.

We also have programs to support start-up companies.

As you can see, the major goal is leveraging our resources with others to have the biggest IMPACT. For details, such as award amounts and due dates, call us or visit the ORC Web site.

oneal@mail.ucf.edu