About Us

Mission

USF College of Arts and Sciences Mission

The College of Arts and Sciences is the intellectual heart of the University of South Florida. We are a community of teachers and scholars united in the belief that broadly educated people are the basis of a just, free, and prosperous society. By focusing on the big questions facing all of humanity, we prepare students for successful, socially responsible personal and professional lives. By conducting innovative, interdisciplinary research and scholarship, we advance knowledge in ways that prepare us to address complex social and scientific problems and enhance the quality of life for peoples and communities.

HELPING TO BUILD A HEALTHIER WORLD

Health is the single most important asset to people across the world. Sustaining healthy lives, building communities and livable societies, preventing and treating disease, and encouraging wellbeing across the globe are critical initiatives for researchers in the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) who conduct interdisciplinary and high impact research in the various ways we can promote healthy people, healthy communities, and healthy environments.

CAS research and scholarship efforts (1) promote an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research-based culture by connecting faculty, post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students; and (2) encourage an entrepreneurial spirit that contributes to the regional economic development and enhancement of education at various levels throughout our community.

Office of Research and Scholarship Mission

The primary mission of the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Research and Scholarship (CAS-ORS) is to promote and enhance all aspects of research and scholarship activities within the college by

• Strengthening CAS research infrastructure and expanding its extramural funding portfolio
• Cultivating focused research areas that respond to global challenges
• Accelerating the translation of research discovery into real-world applications
• Increasing publications and other scholarly activities by faculty at all ranks
• Facilitating collaborative research projects centered on focused research areas

CAS-ORS provides support for the development of research proposals and fellowships by assisting researchers in identifying funding sources that align with their research areas, designing and facilitating proposal development workshops, demonstrating applicable strategic tools and resources, performing comprehensive proposal narrative reviews, offering internal awards, and providing solid research infrastructure. In addition to pre-award proposal and post-award grant support, CAS-ORS promotes the research and scholarship success of our faculty, correspondingly increasing our visibility within the university, our local community stakeholders, and our national and international peers. For related CAS faculty highlights, see CAS The HUB and USF Newsoom.