Letter from the Interim Associate Dean
Welcome! Research and Facilities are a cornerstone of the innovation that happens here at the College of Sciences (COS). As the Interim Associate Dean of Research and Facilities, I am focused on continuing to build on the progress we have made and supporting faculty, staff, and students to help us advance frontiers of knowledge through disciplines across the sciences.
We aim to provide a seamless process for researchers—from pre-award to post-award, as well as helpful guidelines and resources for both research and facilities for COS.
This website is a great reference point that should address many questions, including learning more about the processes and people connected to research and facilities. You are welcome to reach out to me if you have questions or concerns.
Below is an overview of the three areas within research and facilities:
COS Pre-Award assists faculty during the proposal submission process and helps identify resources to make our researchers more competitive, including managing several internal programs, including Red Team Review.
COS Post-Award supports faculty and staff acting as a liaison with other UCF offices to ensure smooth management of grants and contracts.
COS Facilities provides support to Faculty and Staff in all areas of Facilities & Safety, including classroom and lab safety, building access, property and inventory control, space utilization, renovation, and new construction.
Thanks to all of the COS research faculty and staff who work relentlessly to answer important scientific questions and push the boundaries of discovery. We are grateful to support your work.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nichole Lighthall
Interim Associate Dean for Research and Facilities & Associate Professor of Psychology
nichole.lighthall@ucf.edu
Staff
Pre-Award

Jodi Reinhart
Manager, Contracts and Grants
Coral Gean Abel
Contracts and Grants Specialist IV
Gisela Vera
Contracts and Grants Specialist IV
Jaime Davis
Contracts and Grants Specialist IV
Kimberly Santiago
Contracts and Grants Specialist IV
Post-Award
Venessa G. Nieves
Post Award Manager
Facilities
Jennifer Steele
Manager, Facilities Utilization
Raevaun Clarke
Facilities Specialist II
Ways to Engage with the College of Sciences
COS Research News