Vice President for Research

The University of South Florida (USF), among the nation’s boldest, fastest-growing, and most dynamic public research universities, seeks an innovative and decisive leader to serve as Vice President for Research (VPR). USF has recently achieved landmark membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) and has experienced significant growth in its research enterprise and impact over the past decade. USF recently celebrated $750 million in research funding and seeks to grow to over $1 billion in the next five years. The VPR will join a remarkable senior team, with a new President at the helm, a deeply skilled Provost steeped in research leadership of the highest order, and a cadre of talented and dedicated Deans and Associate Deans for Research, all committed to USF’s continued success in a rapidly changing funding and innovation landscape. The VPR will work collaboratively with these leaders, harness the optimism and creativity of USF’s talented faculty, and leverage the opportunity-rich environment of the greater Tampa Bay region to bolster USF Research and define new pathways for USF’s growth and primacy for its next era of impact.

USF is currently ranked among the top 50 public universities in the country. It is ranked among the top 20 public universities for granted U.S. Patents by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an organization founded at USF in 2010, and whose USF chapter alone has over 600 faculty, staff, student, and alumni members. Its research growth has been fueled by the remarkable diversity of its scholarly enterprise, which spans 14 colleges. This enterprise includes an academic medical center comprising the state of Florida’s top-ranked medical college, together with colleges of nursing and public health, among others; a college of engineering with close ties to the robust Department of Defense funding ecosystem of Florida; the new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, which aims to serve as critical connective tissue across USF’s research ecosystem; a historically impactful college of marine science located at USF’s St. Petersburg campus; and an excellent array of physical and natural science, social science, humanities, business, and arts programs, many of which rank in the top 50 nationally. In the last academic year, USF conferred over 700 doctoral degrees across research and professional programs.

The next VPR will join USF at a time of great change and opportunity. The VPR will serve as a strategic thought partner as the new President and Provost seek to transform USF Research, connect the university’s academic units in creative ways, and fulfill the most ambitious research goals in USF’s history. In keeping with a strong history of shared governance and excellence, the VPR will balance decisiveness with a consultative approach, leveraging the strengths of USF’s leaders and setting a strategic vision to advance USF’s emergent and established strengths. As the Chief Research Officer, the VPR will establish themselves as a national figure, actively networking with federal agencies, industry partners, and nonprofit funders to stay abreast of emerging areas of national priority and to center and expand USF’s influence in its drive toward grander impact and innovation. They must bring both a strong record of research excellence in their own field and a deep and active curiosity for the breadth of research and scholarship across all disciplines at USF.

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the search process is completed. Applications, inquiries, and nominations should be submitted confidentially below.

Vijay Saraswat is leading this search with Keith Mason and Elizabeth Arvanitis.

The State of Florida has a Public Meetings Law and a Public Records Law. All meetings of the Search Committee are publicly announced and conducted. All documents submitted to the Committee are public records. Limited exceptions exist. Please feel free to reach out to Isaacson, Miller with any questions before submitting a formal application. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, the University of South Florida considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy or marital status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, or any other category protected by or identified by the University as a protected class.

This document has been prepared based on the information provided by the University of South Florida. The material presented in this leadership profile should be relied on for informational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and information provided by our client governs.