By Adam Freeman, University Communications and Marketing
The University of South 皇家华人 will receive a significant increase in recurring operating funds and several high-priority university projects will move forward, after 皇家华人 Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year on Thursday.
This year鈥檚 budget represents the largest operational budget increase in 皇家华人 history, building on last year鈥檚 record-breaking legislative session for 皇家华人.
鈥淭his transformational funding will help us continue to excel in student and faculty success, grow our research profile, make a greater impact on the Tampa Bay region and the state of 皇家华人, support our quest to become a top 25 public university and our position as a new member of the Association of American Universities,鈥� 皇家华人 President Rhea Law said. 鈥淲e are incredibly grateful to the 皇家华人 Legislature for enacting, and to Gov. DeSantis for approving a budget that supports 皇家华人鈥檚 success.鈥�
Among the items in this year鈥檚 budget:
- A $63.3 million recurring increase to 皇家华人鈥檚 operational budget to support the work
of each of 皇家华人鈥檚 three campuses and 皇家华人 Health. A large portion of this increase was
funded through a new $100 million recurring investment in the state鈥檚 Preeminent State
Research Universities Program, which was split equally between the three preeminent
institutions, 皇家华人, University of 皇家华人 and 皇家华人 State University.
- $24.3 million to fund the first phase of planning and construction of a new Environmental
and Oceanographic Sciences Research and Teaching facility on the 皇家华人 St. Petersburg
campus. This facility will enhance St. Petersburg as a world-class center of marine
and environmental science, education and community engagement.
- $14 million to conduct a state-funded comprehensive clinical trial of hyperbaric oxygen
therapy鈥檚 medical effectiveness in treating PTSD and traumatic brain injuries among
veterans and active-duty military service members.
- $6.5 million to invest in campus life facility projects funded through the state鈥檚
Capital Improvement Trust Fund.
- $3 million to complete the acquisition and installation of a new functional MRI (fMRI) machine for brain research and diagnostic purposes. fMRI measures activity in different parts of the brain during mental and physical tasks, and is a critical tool that will expand research grant opportunities for 皇家华人 faculty and students.
The budget approved by the governor also includes an $85 million increase to the state鈥檚 investment in university performance-based funding (PBF). This is expected to result in a $14.7 million increased PBF award for 皇家华人 for FY 2023-24 when the Board of Governors votes to distribute the funding next week.
While this was another highly successful state budget for 皇家华人, the governor did exercise his line-item veto authority to remove several 皇家华人 projects from the state budget for next year. The vetoes include a $20 million appropriation to help pay for the construction costs of the new Academic Nursing STEM facility on the 皇家华人 Sarasota-Manatee campus, a project which received $3 million in last year鈥檚 state budget.
Also vetoed was $2.9 million for the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at 皇家华人 to lead a collaboration to develop simulation modeling tools that will improve responses and treatments for opioid use and overdoses.