More research is in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ future.
UF IFAS was awarded nearly $125.8 million in research funding for the 2014 to 2015 fiscal year, said Jackie Burns, the UF/IFAS dean for research said.
The majority of the funding comes from federal programs, like the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation, Burns said.
The IFAS funding total for this year exceeded last year’s by 23 percent. She said this is a result of UF faculty’s innovative grant proposals.
"Both our new and older faculty have done an excellent job searching for funding in their research expertise," Burns said.
People want UF’s scientists’ help, said Doug Archer, the IFAS associate dean for research. Companies donate to IFAS because they have faith in the program experts’ abilities, he said.
"It’s thrilling to bring money in and be able to use that money to build a better science base," Archer said. "It allows you to propel into the future. It’s a big deal."
Students also benefit from the research funding, said Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. The funding supports both faculty and student research.
UF nutritional sciences junior Cassandra Etzig said she likes that the money will fund her research under a grant from the National Institutes of Health. With the grant, she is able to assist in the food nutrition lab.
"Thanks to the NIH grant, I have had research opportunities to help me advance in my future career," the 20-year-old said.
