The University of South Florida (USF) faces a potential loss of nearly $10 million in grant funding due to recent cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), according to a report from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
As of March 23, two grants awarded to USF were terminated. A USF spokesperson stated, “USF will continue to review any research grant cancellations and may consider appeals on a case-by-case basis.”
One significant grant from the Department of Defense was worth over $14.53 million. This grant, which began on October 1, 2022, and was scheduled to end on September 30, 2027, has been terminated, resulting in an estimated savings of more than $7.21 million for DOGE. This grant was utilized for ship operations and facility support for the Florida Institute of Oceanography’s R/V Western Flyer research vessel, a custom-designed ship that serves as a sailing classroom. The vessel deploys a remotely operated vehicle to conduct scientific missions throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Northern Atlantic, with the capability to explore depths of up to 4,000 meters.
A USF spokesperson mentioned that the university is still assessing the situation but does not anticipate any impacts on the operations of the R/V Western Flyer. The second grant, which DOGE cites as terminated effective March 24, was worth $2.29 million and was awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It was designated to “strengthen health care infection prevention and control and improve patient safety in the U.S.” The termination of this grant will save DOGE over $2.19 million. Despite these cuts, USF has recently received new federal funding. The USF Institute of Applied Engineering has been awarded $2 million annually for the next four years to expand brain injury research in collaboration with the U.S. Special Operations Command. Research institutions in the Tampa Bay area are preparing for the impact of these federally imposed budget cuts. Over the past decade, institutions in Tampa Bay have secured more than $1.54 billion in grants from the National Institutes of Health.
According to USASpending.gov, the Tampa Bay area receives over $66 billion in federal funding across various government sectors, with Hillsborough County being the most at risk in the region.
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