Research That Works

Data and Solutions for Florida

Florida faces complex issues — demographic change, public health, housing, infrastructure, resilience, and economic mobility. COSSPP researchers work alongside communities, agencies, and policymakers to produce evidence-based solutions. Using data science, policy analysis, and community partnerships, we translate research into real, actionable insights that help Florida prepare for tomorrow.

Student Spotlight: Nike Campbell

Nike Campbell – Ph.D. student studying public administration and policy – was selected for the 2025 Association of Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Equity and Inclusion Student Fellowship.

“FSU’s Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy is well-known for academic excellence and rigor. The school has helped in shaping and refining my research focus, skills, and interests,” Campbell said. “The faculty’s knowledge, experience, and insights have been instrumental in my research journey.”

FSU Urban Planning Students, Faculty Recognized at Florida Planning Conference with APA Award of Excellence

Graduate students and faculty from Florida State University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) at the Mark and Marianne Barnebey Planning and Development Lab have been honored with the 2025 Award of Excellence in the Outstanding Student Project Group category by the Florida Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).

“The Barnebey Lab worked alongside Plan Hillsborough to deliver innovative, context-specific recommendations for updating Hillsborough County’s Future Land Use Map,” said Dennis Smith, Planner-in-Residence and Director of the Barnebey Lab. “Through research, engagement with planning practitioners, and scenario planning across four key urban areas, the Lab helped advance a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable vision for the County’s future growth.”

FSU’s DeVoe L. Moore Center Part of Collaborative Project Offering Data-Driven Solutions for Florida’s Housing Crisis

As housing costs continue to increase nationwide, Florida residents have become all too familiar with the growing housing shortage and affordability crisis that has been building over the past two decades in the Sunshine State.

Dr. Hongtao Yi Elected President of APSA Public Policy Section, Honored with Haldane Prize

Hongtao Yi, Ph.D., professor of public administration at Florida State University and the Reubin O’D. Askew Eminent Scholar Chair in Florida Government and Politics, has been elected president of the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) Public Policy Section and received the Haldane Prize for his outstanding scholarly contributions and leadership in public policy. 

“I’m honored to serve as president of the Public Policy Section of APSA and humbled to receive the Haldane Prize for best article published in Public Administration,” said Dr. Yi. “I look forward to advancing our shared mission of rigorous, impactful public administration and policy scholarship.”

FSU Geography Faculty Researchers Join National AI Effort to Advance Wildfire Forecasting

A research project in Florida State University’s Department of Geography has been accepted into the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot Start-up program. The project is focused on developing a predictive model to forecast fire frequency and severity in California. The NAIRR Pilot Start-up program connects researchers and educators to computational, data and training resources essential for advancing AI […]

FSU’s Institute for Governance and Civics receives $1.7 million U.S. Department of Education grant to launch Founding Voices project

Florida State University’s Institute for Governance and Civics (IGC) has been awarded a $1.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to launch the Founding Voices project, an initiative designed to transform civics education by engaging middle school students with immersive, historically accurate portrayals of America’s Founding Era figures. 

Research Spotlight: The Minimum Marriageable Age Policy Process in the United States: An Advocacy Coalition Framework Analysis

Florida State University Assistant Professor of public administration Ene Ikpebe, Ph.D., authored “The minimum marriageable age policy process in the United States: An advocacy coalition framework analysis.”  

“By identifying the subjects of debate, the paper helps us understand why the formal discussion of child marriage and minimum marriageable age policy in the US has had a relatively late start, compared to similar developed countries. The article also contributes to our understanding of advocacy coalition formation, i.e., the types of beliefs that allow policy actors to organize productively as they seek to influence policymaking,” said Dr. Ikpebe. “Finally, by applying the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to a policy area to which the lens had not previously been applied, the paper deepens scholarly confidence in the usefulness of the theory.”

FSU Planning Team Win Award for Innovative Work on Hillsborough County Land Use Plan

Florida State University students and faculty from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning’s (DURP) The Mark & Marianne Barnebey Planning & Development Lab won a 2025 Florida Planning and Zoning Association (FPZA) award in the Education category: Plans or efforts that effectively promote planning and zoning best practices.

“The Barnebey Lab worked alongside Plan Hillsborough to deliver innovative, context-specific recommendations for updating Hillsborough County’s Future Land Use Map,” said Dennis Smith, AICP, Planner-in-Residence & Director of the Barnebey Lab. “Through research, engagement with planning practitioners, and scenario planning across four key urban areas, the Lab helped advance a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable vision for the County’s future growth.”

Unlock Career Opportunities for Ph.D.s in Government Research on September 23

Join FSU’s College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) for a professional development workshop exploring career opportunities for Ph.D.s in government research settings on Tuesday, September 23, from 2–3:30 p.m. in the DeVoe L. Moore Conference Room (Bellamy 150E).