The University of South Florida has reached its highest level of research activity to date, securing $750 million in research funding in fiscal year 2025. The total marks an $11.6 million increase from last year and a 37% jump since 2022, reinforcing USF’s position as one of Florida’s fastest-rising research institutions.
USF President Rhea Law said the milestone strengthens the university’s ability to drive solutions in health care, environmental resilience, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. She noted that USF remains on track toward its goal of reaching $1 billion in annual research funding by 2030.
USF’s rise is fueled in part by deepening industry engagement. The university reported $284 million in private-sector funding, a 17% increase tied to 733 corporate and applied-research partnerships. A recent collaboration between the USF Institute of Applied Engineering and Washington, D.C.–based Rhea Space Activity highlights this momentum, with USF providing flight-safety qualification testing for a new space sensor moving toward commercialization.
Federal agencies contributed $384 million, supporting projects in national security, AI, and health innovation. This includes NSF-funded cybersecurity research on vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi-based localization systems and NIH-funded work exploring AI-driven vocal biomarkers for disease detection.
State and local support also increased to $82 million, backing initiatives in emergency medical services, flood resilience, and statewide literacy. USF Health Morsani College of Medicine accounted for $483 million, or 64% of total research activity.
Vice President for Research and Innovation Sylvia Wilson Thomas said the record year underscores USF’s growing impact: “We are accelerating innovation, strengthening partnerships across sectors, and expanding USF’s role in shaping Florida’s future.”
