Funding Resources

Internal Awards Program

Mission Statement

The mission of the Internal Awards Program is to foster excellence in research and scholarship by USF faculty and support activities aimed at securing extramural funding. In the allocation of funds across program categories, the highest priority is given to initiatives aimed at funding activities likely to enable leveraging for additional extramural funding and initiatives aimed at scholarly activities for which availability of extramural funding is extremely limited.

The Selection Process for Research/Scholarship Grants: How it Works

The Internal Awards Program is administered through USF Research & Innovation and Sponsored Research. The Call for Proposals requests applications and details the available grant types and time frame of each competitive cycle. The grant cycles are posted simultaneously on the IAP website. A number of USF faculty, across multiple disciplines, serve as proposal reviewers for this peer review process.

Guidelines and Applications

Updated: Internal Awards Competition Schedule 2024-2025 (PDF)

Recent evaluations of the research enterprise at USF have highlighted the critical need to increase support, modernize infrastructure, and improve efficiency of operations. In response to these reviews, the USF Research Council has revamped the USFRI Internal Awards program to enhance growth and productivity throughout the USF research community. 

All awards are submitted through . Submission deadline dates are on as listed on the guidelines with receipt by 5:00 p.m. Award announcements will be made and posted within one month after the deadline.

  • Submissions for the Conference Planning Grant (CONF) - Guidelines (PDF)
    Application Deadline: November 25, 2024, by 5:00 p.m.
    Conferences are an important part of the research and creative process, providing a venue for the dissemination of new information and a forum for the exchange of ideas. The Conference Planning Grant provides supplemental funding for faculty in their role of planning and implementing national and international conferences to enhance the USF research and creative environment and bring prestige and recognition to USF and the State of Florida. Conferences held locally will receive preference. However, conferences planned at a national or international location are eligible. The applicant must have an integral role in the conference planning process.

  • – Guidelines (PDF). Pre-Proposal Submission Deadline: January 15, 2025
    Full Proposal Deadline: April 4, 2025 
    The Interdisciplinary Center Preparation Grants (ICPGs) are designed to incentivize and accelerate nucleation and success of large-scale program-project or center types of grants, as defined in the stated disciplinary area (typically corresponding to grants involving multiple PIs and involving funding amounts that considerably exceed that of a typical single-investigator grant). These grants are designed to incentivize faculty to lead large-scale innovative interdisciplinary efforts that help enhance the excellence of USF research and include faculty from distinct programs/departments. Consequently, ICPGs must target a specific program project or center type funding type opportunity (as defined in relevant research field) and should have quantifiable returns on investment in new grant dollars, increase research productivity, enhance degree programs, and promote attainment of other AAU/state metrics.

  • - Guidelines (PDF)
    Submission Deadline: February 10, 2025
    Multi-User Research Capital Investment Awards (MuRCIA) are intended to enhance research activities and increase competitiveness for external grants. Enhancement can be in the form of small equipment or purchase of software or other items that can be utilized to enhance research productivity. Applicants should demonstrate that there will be multiple users from different colleges and/or regional campuses. The intent of this opportunity is to support equipment purchases that enable collaborative groups of faculty, rather than to provide general core facilities support, for which other funding opportunities are available. These awards are designed to help faculty obtain new external funding. Consequently, RCIAs should have quantifiable returns on investment in new grant dollars, increase research productivity, enhance degree programs, and promote attainment of other AAU/state metrics.

  • Guidelines (PDF)
    2024 NRG Competition Open: November 6, 2024
    Submission deadline: January 10, 2025, 5:00 PM
    Award Notifications: Prior to April 8, 2025
    The New Researcher Grants are designed for faculty to develop new research projects who do not have established funding sources (external or college/departmental) – this program is for early career faculty who are new to USF. The program’s goal is to enable faculty to launch productive research, scholarship, or artistic expression/performance activities that will ultimately result in grant funding from external agencies or foundations. This grant will fund pilot, draft, or preliminary studies/projects. It is expected that these results will provide the basis for external grant proposals, as well as publication or exhibition of the results. Prior recipients who fail to obtain funding for an earlier New Researcher Grant will no longer be eligible to apply for this internal award.

  • Guidelines (PDF)
    2025 Competition Deadline Wednesday, February 12, 2025 by 5:00 PM 
    Awards Announced: Monday, April 14, 2025
    The Proposal Enhancement Grant (PEG) program is designed to help faculty develop competitive proposals for resubmission and increase the probability of securing external funding; to strengthen the resubmission proposal to aid an applicant who has received a positive review of their grant application but is not in a fundable range. Applicants are encouraged to show how the funds will enable or address reviewer concerns. Applicants are also encouraged to describe how the new data or activities are linked to reviewer comments.
  • Guidelines (PDF)
    Spring 2025 Competition Deadline: Friday, February 7, 2025 at 5:00 PM
    Awards Announced: Monday, March 17, 2025
    This program is designed to provide financial support for scholarly and creative presentations by the Â鶹ÊÓƵ faculty at major professional meetings and conferences outside the USA. These grants are available for faculty pursuing a career at USF. The goals of the program are to enhance the international visibility and prestige of research activities and creative presentations conducted at USF and to encourage interaction with international colleagues. Consequently, the highest priority will be given to faculty who are personally invited to give keynote speeches, plenary presentations or other major addresses, presentations, or performances. In addition, to the type of the presentation the prestige and scope of the conference will also be considered.

See for more details.

Proposal Writing Resources


Contacts

  • Tina Lucas, Research Council Coordinator

  • Chair, Research Council: Richard Heller, PhD, Professor, Medical Engineering and Medical Microbiology and Immunology
  •  (PDF)
  • Research Council

Prior Internal Award Recipients

Related USF Policies & Procedures

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Internal Award Manuals & Forms

Conference Planning Grant

Research & Innovation Awards

2024 Faculty Outstanding Research Achievement Award
2024 awards for achievements in calendar year 2023

Excellence in Innovation Award
2024 awards for period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 (FY 2023)