The University of Florida host a wide array of centers, institutes and programs. Centers, Institutes and Programs focus on knowledge that resides within a discipline or are cross-disciplinary in scope. They provide greater depth in teaching and/or research to a focused area within a discipline or apply a broader vision to problems that cross traditional knowledge boundaries. They may help develop new areas of research, encourage interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches to teaching and research, provide relevant focus for service to external and internal constituencies, and/or promote sharing of resources (e.g., equipment, labs) and collaboration across departmental and college boundaries.
- An Institute is a formally named umbrella organization providing administrative support for two or more academic units that are working on related subjects. Institutes provide an array of services to a broadly defined population.
- A Center is a formally named college or university-wide unit that provides services to a specific population. In some cases, UF is a part of broader regional Centers that involve collaborators from other institutions.
- A Program functions much like a Center or Institute except that it has not achieved formal named status. Many Programs aspire to Center or Institute status but need a major endowment to reach that goal.
For a complete list of University of Florida Institutes, click here. To view a complete list of University of Florida Centers, click here.
College of Veterinary Medicine: Key involvement
- The University of Florida recently received a $10 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and will lead a highly collaborative research program focused on stopping vector-borne diseases such as Zika before they spread farther into the United States. Dr. Rhoel Dinglasan, a faculty member in the UF College of Veterinary Medicine’s department of infectious diseases and immunology hired through UF’s Preeminence Initiative, is the program’s lead investigator and will lead the new CDC-funded Southeast Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Also collaborating from the college are Dr. Maureen Long, a professor in the department of comparative, diagnostic and population medicine, whose lab will provide testing through the new grant for Zika, dengue and West Nile virus, in addition to screening for Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Collaborators from the University of Miami, Florida International University and the University of South Florida are also involved and will work closely with UF scientists to address the statewide and regional challenge of Zika and other diseases.
- The College of Veterinary Medicine is the host college for the UF Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology. This center serves as the focal point at the University of Florida for activities concerning the effects of chemicals on human and animal health. The Center includes the Analytical Toxicology Core Laboratory, which provides comprehensive analytical support to on-campus and off-campus researchers requiring qualitative and/or quantitative chemical analysis to meet study objectives, and the Aquatic Toxicology Facility, which is a 1,700 sq-foot multi-purpose laboratory designed to hold and maintain aquatic organisms for biological studies.
- The College also plays a key role in the Center for Inflammation and Mucosal Immunology. The Center is a University wide, multidisciplinary effort to promote scientific collaboration among members of the biomedical research community who share an interest in immunology, immune disorders, and inflammatory organ damage.
- The College’s Marine Mammal Program comprises a major part of a larger campus-wide program in Aquatic Animal Health. This is one the world’s strongest and most comprehensive programs in aquatic animal health, providing research, training, and outreach related to the health of a wide variety of aquatic animals. The program incorporates topics ranging from animal health problems in aquaculture, aquaria, and oceanaria to environmental problems impacting free ranging aquatic animals.
Other UF Centers, Institutes and Programs
College of Veterinary Medicine faculty also participate in a number of other campus Institutes and Centers, including the:
- Emerging Pathogens Institute. The Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI) will develop outreach, education, and research capabilities to prevent or contain new and re-emerging diseases that threaten tourism, health, and agriculture in the state of Florida.
- McKnight Brain Institute. The Evelyn F. & William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of Florida is one of the world’s largest research institutions devoted to the challenges resulting from brain and nervous system disorders.
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology Research. ICBR’s mission is to serve as a world-class research support center that provides scientifically knowledgeable, technically superb scientific services within the ever-changing and wide-ranging scope of the molecular life sciences to University of Florida faculty, staff, graduate students, and other research partners throughout the state and nation.
- UF Genetics Institute. Cracking the code is the key to ending human scourges such as cancer and improving the lives of people and animals.
- Shands Cancer Center. The Center’s team of scientists and clinicians work together to enhance the translation of basic laboratory findings to novel curative and preventive therapies for cancers.
