Executive Director Rouson Center for Substance Use & Mental Health Research

The University of South Florida (USF) invites applications and nominations for the inaugural Executive Director of the Darryl E. Rouson Center for Substance Use and Mental Health Research. Located within the USF College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, the Center is being established as an internationally recognized, interdisciplinary hub for research, innovation, training, policy, and community engagement focused on the complex and interconnected challenges of substance use and mental health.

The Center will build upon USF’s substantial strengths in behavioral health research and its longstanding leadership in addressing mental health and substance use challenges. Its work will span the continuum from prevention and early intervention through treatment, recovery, and systems-level approaches, with an emphasis on translating research into meaningful improvements in practice, policy, and population health. 

The inaugural Executive Director will have the extraordinary opportunity to build the Center from the ground up and establish its vision, culture, research enterprise, partnerships, and international profile. The successful candidate will be an accomplished scholar and visionary leader who can bring together researchers and partners across disciplines, secure significant external funding, cultivate public and private partnerships, and position the Center as a leader in substance use and mental health research.

The Executive Director will report to the Dean of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences.

Primary Job Duties:

• Provide Visionary Leadership and Strategic Direction
• Build a World-Class Research Enterprise
• Grow External Research Funding
• Translate Research into Practice and Policy
• Develop Strategic Partnerships
• Advance Innovation and Technology
• Develop Education, Training, and Workforce Capacity
• Engaged Communities and People with Lived Experience 
• Build the Center’s National Reputation and Visibility
• Lead Center Operations and Resource Development

Minimum Education & Experience:

The successful candidate will possess:

• Doctoral degree in Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Social Work, Gerontology, Criminology, or a related field from an accredited institution at the time of hire.
• A distinguished record of scholarly achievement and externally funded research in substance use, mental health, behavioral health, public health, or a closely related field. 
• A record of successful interdisciplinary research, collaboration, and partnership development.
• Demonstrated success securing competitive external research funding, preferably including significant federal funding. 
• A record of scholarly leadership commensurate with appointment as a tenured senior faculty member in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences.  
• Experience recruiting, mentoring, and developing faculty, researchers, and trainees. 
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with academic, governmental, clinical, community, philanthropic, and/or private-sector partners. 
• Strong communication skills and the ability to represent a major research center effectively to diverse constituencies. 
• A demonstrated commitment to translating research into practice, policy, and measurable community impact. 

 

Preferred Experience:

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• A nationally or internationally recognized research profile. 
• Experience leading a major research center, institute, department, program, or similar complex interdisciplinary enterprise. 
• A substantial record of NIH or other federal research funding. 
• Experience leading large-scale interdisciplinary research initiatives. 
• Experience developing successful public-private or academic-community partnerships. 
• Experience with research commercialization, technology transfer, or innovation. 
• Experience working with state or federal policymakers. 
• Experience with artificial intelligence, data science, digital health, or other emerging technologies relevant to behavioral health. 
• Experience developing research training programs and mentoring early-career investigators. 

 

Review of applications will begin on or after October 23rd, 2026, and continue until the position is filled.

 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and USF Health. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in the highest tier, placing it as one of the top 16 medical schools in the nation and inside the top 10 among public universities. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.