Florida Polytechnic University

Florida Polytechnic University, a state-controlled institution of higher learning based in Lakeland, Florida, serves as a prime recipient of federal research grants from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, with subsidiary grant participation under prime recipients including Duke University, the University of California system, and Florida State University. The university does not hold federal contracts as a prime contractor and operates exclusively in the grant space, where it conducts engineering research, materials science studies, and curriculum development work.

The NSF dominates Florida Polytechnic's recent federal footprint. The National Science Foundation accounts for five awards across multiple divisions, with four grants flowing through the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering). Representative prime grant work includes a $199,561 Engineering Research Initiation award (September 2026–August 2028) investigating how prototype fidelity and functionality influence stakeholder perceptions during engineering design using physical footwear prototypes and human-subjects studies; a $199,925 ERI grant (August 2025–July 2027) examining how alternative representations of engineering design problems affect undergraduate student motivation and cognitive engagement through neurocognitive assessment tools including EEG and fNIRS; a $199,401 ERI award (May 2024–April 2026) using modeling, simulation, and robotic-based movement studies to investigate how Parkinson's disease impacts movement dysfunction; and a $536,110 CAREER grant (March 2024–February 2029) on fatigue performance and failure mechanisms of metal fused filament fabricated Inconel 718, a five-year study integrating research findings into K–12 outreach and curriculum. The NSF Division of Materials Research also funds a project on laser emission from iridescent biological structures in fish species (awarded August 2023). The National Science Foundation Computer and Information Science and Engineering directorate funded an error-resilient asynchronous circuit architecture project for ultra-low power energy harvesting applications under the American Rescue Plan Act (March 2022–February 2025). The Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy awarded a cooperative agreement (January 2022–September 2023) on rare earth metals extraction technology from phosphate processing.

Recent sub-award work includes quantum information science curriculum and research collaboration under UC Merced prime leadership (December 2024), 3D surgical simulation scenario development under Florida State University prime (March 2024), emergency protective measures and variable frequency drive projects under State of Florida Division of Emergency Management prime (June and December 2025), and a thyroid cytopathology machine learning prediction project under Duke University prime (December 2025). The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education together account for two awards each in the portfolio. Activity has fluctuated between one and four awards per year over the past five years, with three awards facing ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months. The combined potential value across all twenty-one awards totals $125 thousand, though obligated dollars ($10.1 million) substantially exceed potential value, indicating substantial funding through performance against existing grants. Florida Polytechnic's research mission centers on undergraduate and graduate student training through participation in NSF-funded engineering research, materials science investigations, and neurocognitive studies, with particular emphasis on supporting underrepresented minorities and low-income students in STEM fields.