College of Sciences Research and Facilities

Letter from the COS Associate Dean of research and facilities

Welcome! Research and Facilities are a cornerstone of the innovation that happens here at the College of Sciences (COS). As the 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.

COS Research Dissemination and Travel (RDT) Awards provide matching funds to support dissemination of creative and research products and pursuit of new funding opportunities.

For the 2026-2027 academic year, we are offering initiatives to grow research in COS. Specific details about these initiatives will be publicized through our COS communication channels and available on this website in early Fall 2026.

COS Seed Grant Program will provide internal funding support for COS faculty.

COS Research Workshop Series will provide information and training on the full “research lifecycle”, including proposal development, post-award management, hiring lab staff, and best practices in lab management. This series will be especially helpful for new/junior faculty, but will include information that is useful to all investigators at all levels.

COS Interdisciplinary Seminar Series will provide a platform to learn about high-impact interdisciplinary topics that are being investigated across the college and develop new collaborations.

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
Associate Dean of Research and Facilities & Associate Professor of Psychology
nichole.lighthall@ucf.edu