The College of Sciences is home to numerous centers, institutes and initiatives.
The India Center, supported by The India Group Annual Fund and Endowed Fund, The Anil and Chitra Deshpande India Program Endowed Fund and the India Studies Fund of the Global Connections Foundation, was established in 2012. It is housed in the UCF School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs. The Center holds public discussions involving prominent speakers, panels and other meetings; organizes an annual India forum; encourages scholarship and research; provides fellowships for UCF students; promotes academic and professional exchanges with institutions in India; seeks to establish partnerships in India; and works with complementary institutions worldwide to broaden awareness and understanding about India.
Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence
Learn more about IC CAE at UCF
Visit the IC CAE website
The IC CAE offers an undergraduate minor and certificates at both graduate and undergraduate levels; all titled “Intelligence and National Security,” available with help from the DIA. The Center is also funding the development of new classes to expand our existing roster of intelligence and national security courses. There are various travel opportunities for students, including workshops in Washington, DC and scholarships for study abroad programs and language-immersion programs.
Initiatives in STEM, or iSTEM, promotes and enhances collaboration on STEM education and educational research.
Kurdish Political Studies Program
Learn more about the Kurdish Political Studies Program
Visit the Kurdish Political Studies Program website
The Kurdish Political Studies Program (KPSP), hosted at the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, is the first academic program dedicated to the study of politics of Kurds and Kurdistan in the United States. The KSPS promotes academic studies and public awareness of Kurdish politics, organizes events addressing contemporary issues affecting Kurdish people, facilitates exchanges and collaborations between UCF and Kurdish universities, and develops curriculum focusing on themes related to the Kurdish experience.
Housed in the School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs, the Lou Frey Institute promotes the development of enlightened, responsible and actively engaged citizens through civic education programs that aim to encourage thoughtful debate and discussion about current policy issues; through experiential learning programs that encourage the development of civic and political skills; by working to help strengthen the civic education capacity of Florida’s K-12 education system; and through research, policy analysis and advocacy.
National Center for Forensic Science
Learn more about the National Center for Forensic Science
Visit the National Center for Forensic Science website
The National Center for Forensic Science (NCFS) is a research center with a 20-year history of research and partnership with the forensic science community. The NCFS was formed in support of an industrial need as expressed in the results of a 1994 survey of UCF forensic science graduates working in crime laboratories. The survey identified a need for more research and training in the areas of fire and explosion debris analysis. The NCFS has played an important role in establishing the Digital and Multimedia Sciences section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Through its focus on digital evidence, NCFS developed important partnerships with the UCF Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Orange County Sheriffs’ Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Through the years, faculty have mentored numerous doctoral, graduate and undergraduate research students. Nearly all of these students are working in forensic science laboratories, teaching forensic science or have gone on to earn other professional or advanced degrees. Today, research at NCFS continues to focus on physical and biological evidence. Areas of study include explosives, fire debris, anthropological evidence, glass, lubricants from sexual assaults and both DNA and RNA evidence applied to many types of crimes.
National Center For Integrated Coastal Research
Learn more about the National Center for Integrated Coastal Research
Visit the UCF Coastal website
The National Center for Integrated Coastal Research (UCF Coastal) integrates science with societal needs to find solutions. Our team of interdisciplinary researchers and scientists is committed to an evidence-based, whole-community approach to increase the resiliency and sustainability of coastal communities by bringing together biologists, chemists, engineers, emergency managers, sociologists, political scientists, medical researchers, economists and urban planners. Responsible management of Florida’s exceptional coastal resources and ocean-based economy depends on innovative scientific research to address complex environmental, economic and social challenges. UCF Coastal’s goal is to link the ecological security of coastal ecosystems with the economic security of coastal communities, ensuring the sustainability of our coastlines and economy for generations to come.