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Division of Research Program Development > Internal Competitive Funding

Internal Competitive Funding

Programs Sponsored by the Office of Research

The Office of Research distributes all indirect costs back to the colleges after the allocation of certain central costs and the cost for supporting sponsored research. This return also includes the annual formula returns to investigators and units. In addition, the Office of Research uses a combination of carry-forward funds and earnings from the UF Research Foundation to fund the following internal support programs.

UF Research Foundation Awards

Five percent of the unrestricted funds in the University of Florida Research Foundation will be used annually to stimulate and reward research efforts. The following two programs are available:

  • Research Foundation Professorships: Thirty-four new awards annually recognize faculty research contributions and provide incentives for continued excellence in research. Each Professorship is awarded for a three-year period and includes a $5,000 annual salary supplement and a $3,000 research grant. Associate and Full Professors who are tenured and who have been on the UF faculty for at least five years are eligible to be nominated by their department chairs. Recipients of the Professorship are selected by their colleges.
  • Support for New Training Grants

Research Opportunity Seed Fund

  • Annual seed grant program that targets interdisciplinary, faculty-initiated research initiatives with potential for extramural support
  • Supports new projects and/or new collaborative partnerships

The Office of Research announced the 2019 awards on May 16, 2019, via the Funding Opportunities page.

Previous Awards

Other Internal Support Programs for Faculty

Fine Arts and Humanities Scholarship Enhancement Fund

The Fine Arts and Humanities Scholarship Enhancement Fund was established to stimulate new or existing creative/research activity in the humanities and fine arts at the University of Florida. Approximately 40 awards are supported annually. The maximum award request is $10,000, with the average award expected to be less.

Eligible applicants are UF faculty working on projects in the humanities or fine arts. The humanities awards process is handled by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The fine arts competition is managed by the College of Fine Arts. Faculty in those areas should contact the appropriate Dean’s Office for application information. The deadline for proposals is generally in mid-November annually.

Internal UF Support Programs for Faculty by Unit

This document includes a variety of internal funding support programs, sponsored by individual units at UF. These programs are coordinated by the units, who oversee the selection and award process. Please contact the units directly with any specific questions related to these programs. 

Internal Support Programs for Students

Graduate Student Travel Funds

Highest priority will be given to doctoral level students and students in other terminal degree programs who are invited to give major talks, are in their final year of their programs and are presenting work at a national meeting, or have a unique research or collaborative opportunity at an off-site location. These one-time awards are limited to $400 per trip and require a dollar for dollar match from the college and/or department. Review the Graduate Student Request for Travel Funds to access the guidelines and forms. Requests should be submitted a minimum of one month in advance of the desired travel date.

Graduate Student Council Travel Grants

Graduate Student Council Travel Grants are reimbursement-based grants may be used to cover travel-related expenses for presenting research or participating in professional development at a professional conference. Reimbursement may cover conference registration, transportation, and lodging, but not food, entertainment, or purchases made on department Pcards. Grants are provided to half-fund travel, so your expenses must be twice as much as the amount requested. The maximum grant is $350. For more information, including departmental eligibility, please visit the Graduate Student Council website.

Grinter Fellowships

The prestigious Grinter Fellowships that honor Dr. Linton E. Grinter—long-time dean of the UF Graduate School and champion of quality graduate programs, faculty and students—are used by UF colleges to recruit the highest quality graduate students to the University of Florida. The Office of Research provides funding annually for Grinter Fellows in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Health Science Center colleges and the Colleges of Architecture, Business Administration, Education, Fine Arts, Health and Human Performance, and Journalism and Communications. For more information, please contact the Graduate School.

Other UF Programs