University of Florida
AC-10: Support for Research

The following are a few representative faculty research programs that focused on sustainability research topics: 1. UF AND CITY OF GAINESVILLE RESEARCH GRANT: As part of the UF’s Strategic Development Plan, UF announced a call for proposals that utilize the UF campus and greater Gainesville community as a living laboratory to address real-world problems in the local community. Dr. Charlie Lane, COO at the UF, received 62 proposals from about 40 Departments. The call emphasized faculty collaboration, i.e., faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to collaboratively work on the topic of sustainability thereby enhancing UF campus and the Greater Gainesville Community. The UF-City of Gainesville Research Grants is a continuing endeavor. More than $300,000 of research funds were distributed; duration of the award is one year. A few of the sustainability related research topics is listed below; • Public Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Technology (Dr. Lily Elefteriadou, Ph.D., PI) • Neighborhoods as Community Assets—Preparing for the Future While Protecting Neighborhoods (Dr. Kathryn Frank, Ph.D., PI) • Urban Energy Model for Smart City Informatics (Dr. Ravi Srinivasan, Ph.D., PI) Website (UF Strategic Development Plan): https://strategicdevelopment.ufl.edu/ Website: https://strategicdevelopment.ufl.edu/2017/04/uf-announces-winners-of-more-than-300000-in-uf-city-of-gainesville-research-awards/ 2. UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FACULTY SEED GRANT: Annual seed grant program that targets interdisciplinary, faculty-initiated research initiatives with potential for extramural support. Supports new projects and/or new collaborative partnerships. One of the critical component of this seed fund is that it is interdisciplinary (this is a mandatory requirement). Each of the awards receive up to $100,000; duration of the award is two years. A few of the sustainability related research topics selected in the past three years is listed below; • Rising Seas, Herbivore Outbreaks, and the Uncertain Future of Blue Carbon (Christine Angelini, Ph.D., PI) • Implications of Shifting Migration Trends: Comparative Assessment of Social Networks, Health Status, and Productivity of Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Migrant Farm Workers (Gulcan Onel, Ph.D., PI) • Transparent Windows with Integrated Photovoltaic Functions for Building Applications (Jiangeng Xue, Ph.D., PI) Website (Internal Funds): http://research.ufl.edu/finding-funding/internal-competitive-funding.html 3. CENTERS & INSTITUTES: UF has over 200 research centers and institutes across the campus. Among these, there are a few centers that encourage faculty from multiple disciplines or academic programs to collaborate on sustainability research, as listed below; UF Water Institute: The UF Water Institute brings together talent from throughout the University to address complex water issues through innovative interdisciplinary research, education, and public outreach programs. The Water Institute Affiliate Faculty is made up of a diverse group of over 200 members representing over 65 Departments, Centers and Programs at UF. Individual faculty association with the Water Institute is through voluntary registration in the online faculty expertise database. The subject area of these faculty includes aquatic biology, aquatic chemistry, climate, data analysis/modeling, ecology, economics, education/communication, geography/land use, geology/soils, hydraulics, hydrology, policy/legal management, social/cultural/institutional, sustainability, water quality, water resource management, and water treatment. And within sustainability, the focus areas are biofuels, built environment, carbon footprint, energy, low impact development, water footprint, and others. Website: http://waterinstitute.ufl.edu/ UF Transportation Institute: The UF Transportation Institute (UFTI) located in the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering aims to advance transportation, disseminate research results, and provide educational opportunities related to transportation. The UFTI brings together faculty, staff, and students from many diverse backgrounds to provide solutions to a variety of transportation problems. Affiliate faculty are from various other departments such as Industrial & Systems Engineering, Economics, Finance Insurance & Real Estate, Nuclear Engineering, etc. Website: https://www.transportation.institute.ufl.edu/

The UF Libraries purchase materials that support curriculum and research in Sustainability. Among these are titles specifically targeting sustainability topics such as the electronic databases/resources BuildingGreen, LEEDuser, and GreenFILE. The libraries maintain research guides to highlight sources on specific topics. Architecture Librarian Dr. Jessica Aberle currently maintains the Sustainability research guide at http://guides.uflib.ufl.edu/sustainability and provides primary research support to programs associated with the College of Design Construction and Planning, as well as those referred to her from other disciplines. Her guide features reference materials, links to databases, new featured books, statistical sources, and other relevant resources. Dr. Aberle, as well as Architecture & Fine Arts Library Head Librarian Ann Lindell, Science and Technology Librarians Michelle Leonhard and Jean Bossart, GIS specialist Joe Aufmuth, and others provide research consultations as well as course-related instruction related to sustainability. Course and programs associated with the UF College of Design, Construction & Planning’s Program in Sustainability and the Built Environment has been a particular focus, although sustainability resources are featured in other outreach efforts when relevant to research topics and curriculum.