Undergraduate Research
Points of Pride
2025-26 Signature Program Offerings
National Center for Earth and Space Education (NCESSE) Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) - A First for USF Research
- 11 teams, 35 USF scholars, competed to launch their experiment on the Mission 21 of
the International Space Station (ISS). The Microgravity Effects on Chitosan Hydrogel Structure for Potential Wound-Care Applications experiment was . In the photo from left to right are Jade Fei (first-year biomedical sciences), Hannah
Kirschenmann (first-year biomedical sciences), Jaiden Brick (junior biology), Dr.
Sylvia Thomas (Professor, EE), and Krystal Walford (junior mechanical engineering).
- Partnered with the Hillsborough County Public Schools for the Spaceflight Patch Contest.
Below are the patches designed by the elementary and middle school winners. The elementary
competition engaged 6,792 students from 11 schools with 108 students submitting patches
for judging and the middle school competition engaged 5,164 students from 5 schools
with 57 students submitting patches for judging. 165 patches met the requirements
for judging by a committee of teachers and community leaders.
The Kindergarten through Fifth Grade Mission Patch winner is Eeshan Kallu, 3rd Grade, Dorothy C. York Innovation Center, Apollo Beach, °®ÎÛ´«Ã½. The winning patch from the Sixth Grade through Eighth Grade competition is Maddox Sewell, 8th Grade, Turkey Creek Middle School, Plant City, FL.
°®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Undergraduate Research Conference
- 61 USF scholars presented posters at the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Undergraduate Research Conference at the University of North °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ on March 6-7th funded by the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ High Tech Corridor - A first for USF Research
OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference during National Undergraduate Research Week
- 375 abstracts submitted in 2025
- 585 (tentative) abstracts submitted in 2026 - Application closed March 24th
Manage USF's NSF REU Sites - OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Program
- 60 participants for 2025
- 6 REU Sites / 3 Research projects
OneUSF Undergraduate Student Engagement Series - A First for USF Research
- Dr. Edward Rosenthal, 2025 °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Inventor Hall of Fame, spoke to USF scholars
OneUSF Undergraduate Faculty Engagement Series - A First for USF Research
- SERI partnered with RDI to host an NSF REU workshop series. As more faculty are awarded REU Sites, more scholars gain undergraduate research experience at USF.
2024-25 Student Programming
The Office of Student Engagement for Research and Innovation (SERI) hosted the 2025 °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC), the nation's largest multi-disciplinary research conference with record attendance and poster presentations. FURC featured 702 posters from 805 undergraduate students representing 33 °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ colleges and universities, 131 faculty and staff, and 152 guests. Three high school students also presented posters from Fort Lauderdale, Gulf Breeze and Dover.
The USF St. Petersburg campus achieved a record level participation of 87 research scholars for the 2025 OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference, showcasing the campus’s growing impact and engagement in undergraduate research. The College of Arts & Sciences led all USF colleges with 496 abstract submissions and the support of 151 dedicated faculty mentors—highlighting the college's strong commitment to undergraduate research and scholarly excellence.
A total of 26 students enrolled in the Undergraduate Research Experience course (IDS 2912). Five of these students presented their research at the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Undergraduate Research Conference, OneUSF Undergraduate Research Symposium or USF Health Research Day.
2024-25 Grants
OneUSF Direct Grants
- $10,000 for the °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) – Office of Student Success
- $10,000 for the Summer Academy for Investigative Learning (SAIL) – Funding Source: °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ High Tech Corridor and USFRI
- $9,000 for the FURC – Hopen Smith Firm
- $7,500 ($2,500 each) for the OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conferences on the Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee ResearchOne
- $5,000 ($2,500 each) for 2025 OneUSF Summer Research Symposium on Tampa, St. Petersburg– Funding Source: Research One
Indirect Grants
- $110,000 for Undergraduate Research (Renewed) for the 10 colleges and one campus with undergraduate programs ($10,000 each) – Funding Source: °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ High Tech Corridor and USFRI
- $50,000 (10 stipends of $5,000) to serve as the Undergraduate Research Director for 10 colleges and one campus
