USF reports record $775 million in research funding for fiscal 2026
Federal agencies supplied about half, the university says.
TAMPA - The University of South Florida brought in a record $775 million in research funding in fiscal year 2026, a 3% increase over the previous year, the university said in an Oct. 22 announcement.
USF said the figure covers its whole research enterprise, including all colleges, direct support organizations and affiliates, so it is not limited to the Tampa campus. The university said its research funding has grown 42% over five years.
Federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of War, contributed $387 million, about half of the total, according to USF. The university said its NIH research awards rose 38% from the prior year.
Among the projects USF highlighted is a Department of Energy-backed partnership with Tampa Electric to build a virtual replica of the utility's power grid.
USF President Moez Limayem said the record comes "at a time when competition for research funding is intensifying nationally."