USF Research & Innovation and the Florida High Tech Corridor have announced a joint investment of $100,000 to support four new projects through the Early Stage Innovation Fund program. This initiative aims to provide early funding for innovative ideas developed by faculty from USF’s College of Arts & Sciences, College of Behavioral & Community Sciences, and College of Education. The selected projects represent work from USF’s Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee campuses.
The current round of seed funding will focus on advancing research in areas aligned with USF’s Strategic Areas of Focus. Projects include developing a roadmap for AI literacy education for K-12 students, a method for training future bilingual educators, an immersive virtual reality learning experience for youth, and an expanded curriculum to enhance social and emotional learning among students.
“Across our campuses every day, USF faculty are developing creative solutions to society’s biggest challenges,” said Dr. Sylvia Wilson Thomas, USF Vice President for Research & Innovation. “This important work supports the breadth and depth of community engaged, high-impact research at USF. This round of Early-Stage Innovation funding was an opportunity for USFRI and the Corridor to highlight USF researchers’ ingenuity around social sciences, design, and education and student engagement.”
Paul Sohl, CEO of the Florida High Tech Corridor, emphasized that these projects are intended to benefit the broader community by applying emerging technologies in practical ways. “The Florida High Tech Corridor launched this seed funding initiative as a means of supporting promising new ideas from University of South Florida faculty and kickstarting research ideas that go on to become larger initiatives,” Sohl said. “These projects will involve and serve the wider community in unique and meaningful ways, and we’re excited to see the returns from this effort.”
Established in 2022, the Early-Stage Innovation Fund supports applied research with strong potential for commercial or community impact. Funding is aimed at helping USF-developed innovations attract further industry investment or licensing opportunities while increasing community engagement.
Past recipients have used similar funds to develop artificial intelligence tools and devices as well as advances in sustainable manufacturing, defense technology, Alzheimer’s research, vaccine development, and infection control strategies.
USF researchers can apply for up to $25,000 per project under this fund to help cover costs associated with furthering their innovations.
The four newly funded projects include:
— “AI for All: Co-designing a Roadmap to Community-Centered AI Literacy Education,” led by Dr. Fan Yang (College of Arts & Sciences), which seeks to outline priorities such as age-appropriate curriculum guidelines and teacher training programs for AI education in Tampa Bay schools.
— “Equipping Bilingual Leaders for Special Education Related Careers,” led by Dr. Matthew Foster (College of Behavioral & Community Sciences), focused on preparing future multilingual professionals through evidence-based instruction methods combined with field-based learning activities.
— “eXploRe a Wonderland of Inquiry,” headed by Dr. Lindsay Persohn (College of Education), which will create a prototype virtual reality application allowing young people collaborative spaces like libraries or workshops where they can develop solutions to real-world problems.
— “Social Emotional Curriculum Development for Early Childhood,” led by Drs. AnnMarie Alberton Gunn and Susan V Bennett (College of Education), aiming to produce curriculum materials that improve vocabulary as well as social-emotional skills among underserved children in Pinellas County.
Further information about upcoming rounds—including deadlines or focus areas—is expected soon via www.usf.edu/corridor.
