Research
Research Opportunities
As a top-tier research institution, USF offers extensive opportunities for graduate students to collaborate with faculty mentors, contribute to cutting-edge projects, and access state-of-the-art facilities and resources. Whether through funded assistantships, independent research initiatives, or interdisciplinary collaborations, students gain hands-on experience that strengthens their scholarly portfolio and prepares them for careers in academia, industry, and beyond. The Office of Graduate Studies is committed to supporting students throughout their research journey, connecting them with funding opportunities, professional development resources, and a vibrant community of scholars dedicated to discovery and innovation.
Explore the research opportunities below to find the path that fits your academic and career goals.
Request for Emergency Food Systems Planning and Response Graduate Researcher
Graduate student(s) are needed to support applied research for evidence-informed practice initiatives focused on strengthening disaster feeding systems. Research could include developing data collection tools, conducting interviews with food system actors, performing literature reviews and content analysis of existing plans, and assisting with mixed-methods data analysis and dissemination of findings. This work will involve translating research and best practices into actionable resources that support community resilience and disaster response capabilities. Projects include conducting disaster feeding plan reviews for counties throughout the Tampa Bay region, developing a stakeholder management database tool of food system actors and an associated asset map, assisting with the design of mass feeding response planning tools and templates (e.g., communication tools, surveys/interview guides, activation resources, checklists, letters of intent, data collection tools in ReadyOp and Everbridge, staff mental health and wellness plans), needs assessment for shared infrastructure, and trainings (e.g., Situation Report, State reimbursement process, discussion-based exercises to test plans, plan reviews for organizations). This opportunity is affiliated with the Emergency Food Response Working Group within the USF Future of Food Think Tank, contributing to its mission of strengthening regional resilience and coordinated disaster response systems.
Estimated hours: 10 hrs/week
Contact: Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, Instructor, College of Public Health & Director, USF CERT - eadunn2@usf.edu
Request for Regenerative Metrics Dashboard & Data Integration Graduate Researcher
Graduate student(s) are needed to support applied research advancing the development of a Regenerative Metrics Dashboard and Demo Network—an evidence-based, regionally focused platform that translates emerging agricultural practices into actionable insights. The student will facilitate data intake and synthesis efforts, including managing a standardized intake process for capturing ecological, economic, operational, and adoption-related data from practitioners and experts. Responsibilities include structuring and integrating this information into a dynamic database, supporting the creation of key metric categories (e.g., practice impacts, economic benchmarks, adoption barriers, and pilot pathways), and contributing to a practitioner directory and visualization tools. The role will also support ongoing data maintenance, quality assurance, and knowledge translation to ensure outputs are accessible and useful for regional stakeholders. This project is affiliated with the Novel Approaches to Agriculture Working Group within the USF Future of Food Think Tank and contributes to building a living data ecosystem that accelerates innovation and adoption in regenerative food systems.
Estimated hours: 10 hrs/week
Contact: Dr. Miranda Mattingly, Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives, USF Research Development Institute – mattinglym@usf.edu
Request for Tampa Bay Food System Data Integration and Food–Health Prototype Graduate Researcher
Graduate student(s) are needed to support applied research advancing the early-stage development of the Tampa Bay Food System Database. In collaboration with a faculty mentor, research activities will include completing a regional data inventory, conducting a gap analysis of existing food system, supply chain, and public health datasets, and synthesizing findings to identify and prioritize initial prototype opportunities. The project will emphasize development of a pilot food–health integration prototype using existing public datasets, linking food access and system indicators with health outcomes to inform evidence-based decision-making. Additional tasks may include assessing data interoperability, contributing to prototype design, and supporting exploratory approaches such as spatial analysis, predictive modeling, and AI-informed methods. This work will help establish the analytical foundation, research direction, and future funding pathways for a comprehensive, data-driven regional food system platform. This opportunity is affiliated with the USF Future of Food Think Tank, contributing to its broader mission of advancing data-driven, cross-sector innovation in regional food systems.
Estimated hours: 10 hrs/week
Contact: Dr. Miranda Mattingly, Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives, USF Research Development Institute – mattinglym@usf.edu