Welcome to UWF Research and Sponsored Programs!

Faculty at the University of West Florida are active scholars and researchers. UWF values research because it enriches the learning environment of our students, provides solutions to problems in our region, and contributes to the wellbeing of our community. Whether its finding solutions to local environmental contamination, uncovering archeological artifacts long hidden, developing better ways to offer quality online instruction, exploring new strategies to help young children learn, determining the economic benefit of a new industry, or finding out how to protect the habitat of endangered birds in the everglades, UWF researchers are committed to finding better ways to solve real problems. In fact, that is what is unique about UWF research – its applied focus and regional impact.

UWF faculty researchers are special. They believe that the high quality research in which they are engaged makes them better teachers and improves the learning environment for the students they teach. They often include undergraduate and graduate students in their research and coauthor articles and conference presentations with their student-collaborators, thereby fostering the next generation of researchers. Faculty readily collaborate across academic disciplines and with partners in the community to provide comprehensive research solutions to complex, multidimensional problems.

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs provides a full array of services to support the UWF research community. Our staff are dedicated, well prepared professionals, many of whom have earned the national distinction of being recognized as Certified Research Administrators. We help UWF researchers find funding opportunities, prepare grant proposals, and manage grant budgets and related audits. We oversee research compliance including the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Human Research Participants Protection, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and policies related to research misconduct and conflict of interest. We also have a full range of technology transfer services to support licensing and the commercialization of inventions.

Explore the resources on this website for a better appreciation of the importance of UWF research. If you would like more information about research at UWF, please feel free to contact me or any member of the research staff.

Richard S. Podemski, Ph.D.