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UNF Foundation Board Initiatives

Faculty Grants

2024 - 2025

The UNF Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt entity that provides financial support and counsel to the University and enables it to achieve critical elements of its mission.  As such, each year the UNF Foundation Board designates a portion of their budget to fund the Faculty Grants Initiative.  This year the Foundation Board will be able to award $100,000 to faculty projects. The Foundation Board welcomes proposals from all UNF teaching faculty (tenured or tenure-earning faculty, lecturers, or instructors). To apply for grant funding, see the criteria and application timeline below.  

For questions about the Faculty Board Initiatives, contact Gabe Grass, Director of Corporate Relations and Major Gifts, at 904-620-5377.

Criteria

Successful proposals will describe an academic, research or special project that will enhance the quality of learning and the reputation of the University of North Florida and that will accomplish one or more of the following goals: 

  •  Lead to a significant advancement in its field, 
  •  Provide a unique transformational learning opportunity, 
  •  Merit publication or production, 
  •  Advance the strategic priorities of the faculty member’s department, 
  •  Significantly involve UNF students, 
  •  Positively impact the communities of Northeast Florida, and 
  •  Involve collaboration between or among departments and/or colleges and/or community organizations.

All projects should efficiently use the funds awarded and provide a meaningful return on investment.

Please note, funds need to be spent within two years of the award. 

Letter of Interest Application

Letter of Interest Applications will be due to your Dean's office by October 29, 2024 by 5 p.m..
Projects with a PI in the College of Arts & Sciences, please send your completed applications to COASFacultyGrants@unf.edu.
Projects with a PI in the College of Education and Human Services, please send your completed applications to daniel.dinsmore@unf.edu.

2024 - 2025 Timeline

October 11, 2024 at noon on Zoom – Open House. Faculty are invited to meet a group of Foundation Board Grants Committee members to discuss the proposal process and ask any questions they may have on submitting an application.

October 29, 2024 – Deadline for submission of one-page Letter of Interest Application to the submitting faculty member's respective dean’s office. 

November 6, 2024 - Deans send ranked LOIs to Provost's office for approval

November 15, 2024 - Provost sends all approved LOIs to Grants Committee Liaison 

December 6, 2024 – The Grants Committee will meet with deans to discuss the Letter of Interest Applications.

January 10, 2025 – The Grants Committee will meet to select faculty to advance in the grant process. Faculty will be notified shortly after.

February 11, 2025 – Deadline for submission of full proposals to faculty member's respective dean’s office. In addition, full proposals should be emailed to the UDAE office.

February 28, 2025 – The Committee will hear presentations from faculty finalists. Visuals and power points may be utilized. The full UNF Foundation Board will then vote to approve the Grants Committee’s recommendations for Board Initiative funding at the Q3FY25 meeting.

July-August, 2025 –  Funding will be disbursed into accounts and faculty will launch their projects during the new academic year.

  • FY 2024
    • Pulmonary Disease Detection using Personal Medical Devices and AI
      • Drs. Xudong Liu and Mona Nasseri, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
    • Water Stories: A River Harvest
      • Drs. Tru Leverette-Hall and Maureen McCluskey
    • Mediated Statement Analysis (MSA): Detecting Deception Online in the Misinformation Er
      • Drs. Christa Arnold, Margaret Stewart and Dan Richard
    • Improved Therapeutic Hypothermia Devices using Advanced Manufacturing Material
      • Drs. Lindsay Toth and Christopher Oshman, Brooks College of Health and the College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
    • Enhancing Manufacturing Quality and Sustainability through Machine Learning
      • Drs. Justina Simsiriwong and Gokan May, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
  • FY 2023
    • Partnering with K-12 Teachers to Advance Computer Science Learning in Northeast Florida
      •  Drs. Terrie Galanti, Brian Zoellner and Sandeep Reedivari, College of Education and Human Services and College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
    •  Swooping into the SEA of Phages: Viral Discovery at UNF
      • Dr. Denise Monti, Hicks Honors College
    • Visualizing the Indigenous History of Northeast Florida
      • Drs. Denise Bossey and Keith Ashley, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Biomechanical and Psychosocial Impact of Ride-on Toy Cars for Children with Mobility Issues due to Cerebral Palsy
      • Drs. Guilherme Cesar, Juan Aceros and Debra Depto-Hoffman, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction and Brooks College of Health
  • FY 2022
    • Backward Walking Speed: A Paradigm Shift in Balance and Mobility Assessment
      •  Dr. Chitra Balasubramanian, Brooks College of Health
    •  Integration of “Remote in” of Faculty and Students in BCH using Telerobots
      • Dr. Kristen Hicks-Roof, Brooks College of Health
    • Integrating Computational Thinking in Mathematics Education in PK-3
      • Drs. Terrie Galanti and Mai Dahshan, College of Education and Human Services and College of Computing, Construction and Engineering
    • Industrial Cutter for Fab Lab
      • Dr. Jennifer Hager, College of Arts & Sciences
  • FY 2021
    • Women Composers and Women Soloists with Wind Band Recording Project
      • Dr. Erin Bodnar, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Quality Assurance of Machine Learning Applications Used in Healthcare
      • Drs. Upulee Kanewala and Indika Kahanda, College of Computing, Engineering & Construction
    • Material Characterization of MICP-Treated Beach Sand
      • Drs. Raphael Crowley and Brian Wingender, College of Computing, Engineering & Construction, Terri Ellis, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • Osprey TALON Program
      • Deborah Owen, Brooks College of Health
    • Supporting Black Students Persistence in STEM Programs at UNF: Implications for Modeling Diversity and STEM Leadership
      • Dr. Dilek Kayaalp, Dr. Sophie Filibert & Mario Pickens, College of Education and Human Services
  • FY 2020
    • SWOOP: Student Wed-accessed Open Observatory Project
      • Drs. John Hewitt and Brian Zoellner, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Protection Against Brain Injuries in Construction Using 3-D Printed Hard Hats
      • Drs. Grant Bevill and Jutima Simsirwong, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
    • Boosting STEM Student Success Through Cutting-Edge Instrumentation
      • Drs. Hannah R. Malcolm and Amy Lane, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Red Hill Cemetery Project
      • Dr. David Sheffler, College of Arts and Sciences, Chris Baynard, Coggin College of Business, and Dr. Gordon Rakita, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Improving Student Retention through Stress Management in High DFW Courses
      • Dr. Kassie Terrell, Brooks College of Health
  • FY 2019
    • Mass Shootings: Types, Causes, and Possible Solutions
      • Dr. Dominik Guess, College of Arts and Sciences and Dr. Tes Tuason, Brooks College of Health
    • UNF Conductor's Studio
      • Dr. Cara Tasher, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Preparing Data Scientists with a Social Conscience
      • Karthikeyan Umapathy, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction and Dr. Dan Richard, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Carbon Sequestering Cement
      • Drs. Craig Hargis and Paul Eason, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
  • FY 2018
    • Long-term water quality monitoring program at the William C. Webb Coastal Research Station
      • Dr. James Gelsleichter, College of Arts and Science 
    • The Sankofa Narrative Project: Oral Histories of Segregation/Integration in NE Florida
      • Chris Janson, Dean Elizabeth Curry, Rudy Jamison, Tru Leverette, Shannon Eaves, College of Education and Human Services 
    • Agricultural Information Collection Using A Team of Autonomous Drones
      • Drs. Ayan Dutta and Patrick Kriedl, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
    • Cold Case Homicides in Jacksonville
      • Drs. Michael Cherbonneau and David Forde, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Ospreys: Know the Risks - Peer Education to prevent prescription Drug Misuse
      • Deborah Owen M.S.H. and Richmond Wynn Ph.D., Brooks College of Health 
    • Developing Anti-Cancer Drugs with UNF Students 
      • Dr. Kenneth Laali, College of Arts and Sciences
  • FY 2017
    • Collegiate Achievement Mentoring Program 
      • Drs. Christian Winterbottom, Matthew Ohlson and Jody S. Nicholson, College of Education and Human Services
    • Understanding Writing across the University
      • Dr. Linda Howell, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Adaptive Feeding Intervention and Monitoring Program for Infants with Congenital Zika Syndrome 
      • Dr. Lauri Wright, Brooks College of Health 
    • Development and Enhancement of the Biomedical Pre-Professions Program (BPP) Resources for UNF Students 
      • Dr. David Wadell, College of Arts and Sciences
  • FY 2016
    • Study of Self-Directed Independent Power Mobility 
      • Dr. Mary Lundy, Brooks College of Health 
    • Public Service Leadership Program 
      • Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, College of Arts and Sciences
    • Clinical Simulation Enhancement 
      • Dr. Cynthia Cummings, Brooks College of Health
    • Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)
      • Dr. David Lamber, Academic Affairs
    • Shark EPT
      • Dr. James Gelsleichter, College of Arts and Sciences
  • FY 2015
    • Mill Cove Complex: Downtown Jacksonville AD 1000
      • Dr. Keith Ashley, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • Eureka! A Scientific Notebook for Online Teaching Education 
      • Drs. Stuart Chalk and Brian Zoellner, College of Education and Human Services 
    • Biology intensive Orientation for Students 
      • Dr. David Waddell, College of Arts and Sciences 
  • FY 2014
    • Public Service Leadership Project 
      • Ambassador Nancy Soderberg, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • Community Based Needs Assessment of Nursing in a Large Urban School District in Florida
      • Dr. Doreen Radjenovic, Brooks College of Health
    • Development and Implementation of a Portable Simulator 
      • Dr. Juan Aceros, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction
  • FY 2013
    • Energy Efficient Vehicles 
      • Dr. John Nuszkowski, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction 
    • ExCITE Summer Camp 
      • Drs. Judith Poppell, Terrance Cavanaugh and Asai Asaithambi, College of Education and Human Services 
    • Sculpture on Campus 
      • Jenny Hager, College of Arts and Sciences
  • FY 2012
    • Jazz Archives 
      • Danny Gottlieb, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • Math Camp 
      • Dr. Murat Tiryakioglu, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • From Oppression to Opportunity 
      • Dr. Tess Tuason, Brooks College of Health 
  • FY 2011
    • Osprey Engineering Consulting 
      • Dr. Chris Brown, College of Computing, Engineering and Construction 
    • Math and Science Camp
      • Dr. Faiz Al-Rubaee, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • Coastal Biology 
      • Dr. Jim Gelsleichter, College of Arts and Sciences 
  • FY 2010
    • Diabetes/Nutrition Care 
      • Dr. Laurie Wright, Brooks College of Health 
    • Impacting Literacy 
      • Dr. Susan Syverud, College of Education and Human Services 
    • Sculpture on Campus
      • Jenny Hager, College of Arts and Sciences 
  • FY 2009
    • Success Skills 
      • Dr. Fred Pragsam, Coggin College of Business 
    • Mental Health Research 
      • Dr. Gabriel Ybarra, College of Arts and Sciences 
    • Archeological/Timucua Village 
      • Dr. Linda Howell, Colleg of Arts and Sciences 
    • Student Union Art Work 
      • Matt-Clay Robinson, College of Arts and Sciences 
  • FY 2008
    • Healthy Habits through Literacy 
      • Drs. Cheryl Fountain and Janice Hunter, College of Education and Human Services
    • Deaf Senior Citizens and Children 
      • Dr. Sherry Shaw, College of Education and Human Services 
    • Nutrition Research 
      • Dr. Sally Weerts, Brooks College of Health