Research & Sponsored Programs Report ResearchAnnual201819-electronic | Page 4

Research and Sponsored Programs introduction
Dr. Matthew Schwartz
Welcome to the 2018 Annual Report from the
University of West Florida’s Office of Research
and Sponsored Programs.
As the interim assistant vice president of research
administration, it is my pleasure to invite you to
explore the following pages that celebrate some
of the many research and scholarly accomplish-
ments by UWF faculty, staff and students. These
are exciting days at UWF and across the state
of Florida as we look to expand our research ca-
pabilities by leveraging the strengths of UWF’s
geographic, natural and human resources to
enhance scholarly activities within and outside
the classrooms.
I have been a faculty member, department
chairperson and college administrator at UWF
since 2005. During that time on our campus, I
have seen many changes of academic units, ad-
ministrative and executive leadership, and even
logos. Throughout all of this, UWF has remained
dedicated to the importance of supporting our
faculty, staff and students who pursue research
excellence. We saw that in the creation and
expansion of UWF’s Office of Undergraduate
Research, its creation of new University centers
dedicated to cybersecurity, multidisciplinary
studies, and supply chain management excel-
lence (to name a few), and our ongoing support
of the grants and contracts that expand UWF’s
research capabilities.
What is research at the University of West
Florida? Surely, there must be nearly as many
answers to this question as there are UWF fac-
ulty (138), undergraduates (9,490 and counting),
and graduate students (2,800 strong). Research
is at the heart of every university and may take
the form of innovative teaching in our class-
rooms and laboratories, focused engagement
with our regional and national communities,
and student-centered disciplinary engagement
by UWF’s dedicated faculty. In the following
pages, you will see examples of UWF’s dedi-
cation to preserving our unique historical and
environmental landscape, while also pushing the
boundaries of our academic disciplines. UWF
faculty and students are dedicated to expanding
knowledge amongst our students and within our
global research communities.
Our research effort is demonstrated every day
by UWF colleges, departments and instructors
utilizing the most current concepts and tech-
nologies to bring alive the Argo student expe-
rience on campus and (increasingly) online.
Many faculty and staff make the extra effort to
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pursue external funding
from federal agencies like
the National Science Foundation, the N a t i o n a l
Endowment for Humanities and the National
Institutes of Health and others; state agencies
like the Florida departments of health and cor-
rections; and a variety of private foundations.
Recent efforts have led Argos to destinations
ranging from the South Pacific to the Southern
Ocean.
External research funding at UWF. The UWF
educators who submit the applications and pro-
posals for this external funding do so to bring to
UWF new capabilities and technology or to take
UWF student and faculty researchers into the
field and across the globe. External funding is
any revenue source that is not tied to the state of
Florida’s direct investment in higher education.
It may involve grants or contracts and always re-
quires significant effort from the faculty/staff in-
vestigators. In all these efforts, Argo researchers
are supported by the professional staff from
the UWF Office of Research and Sponsored
Programs. They include grant specialists, busi-
ness managers and other support staff to help
guide the manifold processes and procedures
that pursue, secure and manage these new funds
that provide for new opportunities for students,
faculty and staff to explore all the facets of our
world.
What’s next for UWF research? The UWF
Division of Research and Strategic Innovation
works with both our internal academic partners
and representatives of industrial, public sector,
military and other eternal members of the re-
gional and national community. As such, UWF
research requires a dedication to UWF faculty,
staff and students, while casting an eye to ex-
ternal partners who provide important context
and new opportunities for the UWF research
community. We look forward to a dedication to
new efforts in research administration and re-
search engagement.
Research administration includes all of our ad-
ministrative efforts to increase financial support
for UWF teaching and research activities by
securing eternal funds, but it starts with cele-
brating and championing the ongoing research
that occurs as part of our degree programs,
student research at both the undergraduate and
graduate level, and all of the scholarly activi-
ties performed by our dedicated UWF faculty.
A successful grant or contract represents the
culmination of a tremendous amount of work.
2018-2019 Research Annual Report