Systemic Resilience: COTA Meta-Strategy, 2021-2025
Systemic Resilience: COTA Meta-Strategy, 2021-2025

Implementation

Pillar V: Research and Creative Work

Excellence in Research and Creative Activity in the College of the Arts is recognized in accordance with excellence in research across the UF campus. We commit to the support and amplification of the impacts and reach of our faculty’s research and creative work production.  

Implementation Highlights

Year 1  |  Completed
  1. Amplify and support the visibility and impact of COTA faculty research.
  2. Increase levels of external funding for COTA faculty research. NEA EpiArts Research Lab established in CAM.
  3. Facilitate the expansion of disciplines, new perspectives, ideas, and methodologies. Hired 11 new faculty, 9 visiting faculty, 6 staff, and 3 existing faculty to administrative positions across the college; Hired a new faculty member as a Banks Preeminence Chair. 
  4. Increase multi-disciplinary engagement and innovative research. Launched CAME, which welcomed first cohort of affiliate faculty in August 2020.
  5. Increase COTA participation in UF and college-level opportunities to expand faculty/student collaborative research. Increased COTA participation in UF initiatives, including Artificial Intelligence.
Year 2  | Completed

  1. Amplify and support the visibility and impact of COTA faculty research. COTA Strategic Communications onboarded a new arts writer. COTA launched COTA Research Series with information sessions on internal COTA Research Funding Awards, Intellectual Property, Intro to External Fund-Seeking 101, and COTA Research Lightning Rounds. The first three COTA Work-In-Process Forums were held with faculty in SOTD. SAAH began implementing UF best practices in soliciting external awards for SAAH faculty. CAM established an awards committee to nominate faculty and staff for internal and external awards, and the center became a founding member of the World Health Organization’s Healing Arts Lab. 

  2. Increase levels of external funding for COTA faculty research. COTA faculty and students received over $2.2 million dollars in external grants and fellowships, including a $750,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation awarded for Racial Equity in Community Based Research: a partnered project between CAM and CAME faculty and community members. The nascent COTA Proposal Studio was established with the hire of COTA’s first Fiscal and Grants Accountant, Megan Baucom, and two graduate assistants; the Proposal Studio created a COTA Resources TEAM (Proposal Studio Channel) with a COTA Arts Funding database. SOTD supported faculty in navigating time away from campus to participate in external creative research opportunities. 

  3. Facilitate the expansion of disciplines,new perspectives, ideas, and methodologies. Ten faculty and eight staff searches across units launched with the constitution and training of search committees. COTA convened the AI & Arts Working Group with faculty and staff from across the college to advance AI-related research, teaching, and engagement in COTA and integrate COTA with UF-wide AI conversations and beyond. The group began a visioning process for a new Center and shared space focusing on AI & Arts. COTA faculty, staff, and students supported Gainesville’s participation in the national One Nation/One Project initiative.  

  4. Increase multi-disciplinary engagement and innovative research. COTA received support from the Office of the Provost for a reimagined Creative B initiative and hired the college’s first Creative Campus and College Events Manager to support the COTA Fall Symposium, Spring Recognition Ceremony, and Summer Creative B program. CAM launches its Social Prescribing Pilot, part of its EpiArts Lab partnership to connect people to practical and emotional community support through primary healthcare practices and local arts organizations. CAM engaged with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to generate field guides and vaccine confidence initiatives. SPARC352 began activities and events with MiddleGround, 352creates, and the 5th Avenue Arts Festival, as well as the first SPARC352 Youth Apprenticeship Program in summer 2022. 

  5. Increase COTA participation in UF and college-level opportunities to expand faculty/student collaborative research. The COTA AI & Arts Working Group invested in a three-year COTA HiPerGator purchase for use by COTA faculty and students doing research related to big data, computational analysis, and artificial intelligence; developed the curriculum plan for an undergraduate certificate; and planned a UF Spring Symposium on AI & Interactions with Society. CAM established two internal rapid research grant funds for CAM faculty and staff. CAME added 18 new affiliate faculty representing three countries and funded 11 research projects. 

Year 3 | Completed

  1. Amplify and support the visibility and impact of COTA faculty research. Establishment of COTA Communicators Cohort as a place to share communications strategies across units to amplify communications efforts across units. SOTD developed a monthly e-newsletter highlighting research accomplishments. CAM hosted the “Creating Healthy Communities” Convening in Orlando, Florida and was profiled in a PBS NewsHour special in October 2022. 

  2. Increase levels of external funding for COTA faculty research. COTA faculty and students were awarded over $2.5 million in external funding awards in Fiscal Year 2023. The Proposal Studio launched a new website (research.arts.ufl.edu), e-newsletter, and Research Channel in the COTA Resources TEAM to assist researchers in locating funding, developing proposals, and managing awards.  

  3. Facilitate the expansion of disciplines,new perspectives, ideas, and methodologies. The AI & Arts Working Group created a COTA HiPerGator use guide, planned a UF AI & Social Interactions Symposium (March 2022), developed the outline of an undergraduate certificate, identified shared needs for a collaborative Arts & AI research and performance space, and began a Center visioning process.  

  4. Increase multi-disciplinary engagement and innovative research. CAME, in its third year, welcomed 10 new affiliate faculty from across UF, the US and the globe; awarded $17,500 in research funding to CAME affiliate faculty; and created a Data Rights Working Group. SPARC352 implemented key activities including hosting artist-facilitated Community Conversations focusing on issues identified by local neighborhoods; recruiting and training community members to conduct geospatial mapping of east Gainesville neighborhoods; and sponsoring local cultural engagement with community partners. 

  5. Increase COTA participation in UF and college-level opportunities to expand faculty/student collaborative research. More than 1,500 students and community members participated in the reimagined Creative B Summer Program in July 2022. With UF Office of the Provost support, COTA launched a two-year thematic for the Creative B Summer Program in 2023 and 2024 focused on Recovery Through the Arts, coordinated in communication with the Gainesville One Nation/One Project site team. 

YEAR 4 | IN PROGRESS
  1. Amplify and support the visibility and impact of COTA faculty research.
  2. Increase levels of external funding for COTA faculty research.
  3. Facilitate the expansion of disciplines, new perspectives, ideas, and methodologies.
  4. Increase multi-disciplinary engagement and innovative research.
  5. Increase COTA participation in UF and college-level opportunities to expand faculty/student collaborative research.
Year 5
  1. Amplify and support the visibility and impact of COTA faculty research.
  2. Increase levels of external funding for COTA faculty research.
  3. Facilitate the expansion of disciplines, new perspectives, ideas, and methodologies.
  4. Increase multi-disciplinary engagement and innovative research.
  5. Increase COTA participation in UF and college-level opportunities to expand faculty/student collaborative research.