Mission & Purpose

The Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) role in the College of Education and Human Performance at UCF is to assist faculty in obtaining funding for educational programs, and for research and development from federal, state, industry, and private sources. All Contract and Grant (C&G) efforts to improve teaching and learning are done under the auspices of the CERD. The CERD supports partnerships among other colleges and state universities, industry, and public school districts in their endeavor to create the intellectual leadership for the next century. Through the CERD’s assistance in identifying and obtaining additional research and program funding, the faculty and students are afforded the resources necessary to construct and impart valuable knowledge that enhances quality teaching and improves student learning at all levels of education in Florida.

The CERD supports the state’s strategic plan to improve the functions of research and graduate education within Florida by:

• Assisting the College of Education and Human Performance and their partners in the development of research strategies related to education.

• Assisting the College of Education and Human Performance and UCF faculty in supporting local and statewide research initiatives that provide opportunities for collaboration across the system, integrating intellectual capital within and among educational partners in which researchers may participate in highly leveraged research efforts.
• Increasing economic and academic support for graduate students in the form of tuition support, fee waivers, fellowships, and teaching assistantship as well as research support for graduate student projects, theses and dissertations, with particular emphasis on under-represented populations, especially in science, mathematics, and exceptional education.