Purpose

The Provost Research Competition supports the type of scholarly and creative activities for which faculty were hired, for which they will receive tenure or promotion, and by which they further new developments in their fields.

The aim of this competition is to offer support in three key areas: faculty who are actively applying for external funding, faculty working toward applying for such funding, and those with ambitious projects, such as major monographs, research, or creative projects, that will have a major impact on the applicant’s field of research.

Expand allTrack 1: Bridge Funding

The Office of the Provost will provide bridge funding as a form of “insurance” for competitively selected proposals from faculty who apply for, but do not receive external grant support. We will provide $50,000 to be used by the faculty member to strengthen the proposal for resubmission.

To be eligible for consideration, faculty must have:

• Submitted an external proposal on or after August 16, 2025, but not yet received notification of the outcome, or
• Plan to submit the external proposal which will receive the notification of the outcome before August 1, 2026.

Funding will not be released for proposals awarded bridge funding by the Provost until proof of submission to the external funding (via a proposal submitted through USCeRA) is provided as well as notification that the proposal was not funded.

Bridge funding proposals will be accepted in all disciplines. In other words, this track welcomes proposals for all types of external research, scholarship, or creative projects or major fellowships (e.g., ACLS, Guggenheim, etc.). Insurance proposals for external funding must be aligned with the priorities of the funding sources.

This funding, which can be combined with departmental or college resources, will allow the researcher/scholar to continue to work on the project, taking into account the feedback received through the external review process. If the proposal is selected for funding, and the faculty member can provide the required proof of submission and notification, the funding will be released as soon as possible to the appropriate departmental account after the March 1, 2026, announcement date.

Track 2: Seed Funding

The Office of the Provost will provide $20,000 in seed funding for competitively selected proposals for research, scholarship or creative activity that clearly are targeted to supporting an eventual proposal for external funding.

Applicants must provide a description, plan, and timeline for their work, and identify the agencies, foundations, or fellowships to which they intend to apply at the completion of the proposed work. Proposals for seed funding must be aligned with the priorities of the future external funding sources.

Funding for successful proposals will be released to the department of the P.I. by May 15, 2026.

Track 3: Project Funding In Arts, Humanities, And Social Science

The Office of the Provost will offer $50,000 for ambitious projects that will have a major impact on the applicant’s field of research. This track includes research monographs and major artistic and creative projects.

Funding for successful proposals will be released to the department by May 15, 2026.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants include USC faculty (tenured, tenure-track, and professional track) working at USC Columbia or Palmetto College campuses as well as the Schools of Medicine Columbia and Greenville.

• This includes professional-track faculty who have 30% or more time for research in their contracts.
• Faculty at all career stages are eligible to apply.

Applicants may only submit one proposal to this competition.

• Proposals may include multiple investigators, but one investigator must be designated as the project lead.
• Faculty may not apply to other major internal research competitions during AY 2025-2026 (e.g., ASPIRE, RISE).

Funds Available and Project Period

Provost grants are block grants; that is, the proposals do not need to specify exactly how the grantee expects to spend the funds. The award letter will state, however, that funds must be spent in accordance with state regulations and the approval of the chair, director, or dean.

Review Process and Criteria

Applications that are complete, responsive, and submitted by the deadline will be evaluated by a review panel. Reviewers will prioritize their recommendations based on the quality of the proposals in accordance with the review criteria below.

Research Merit

• Does the proposal provide a compelling argument for the funding?
• Does the proposed project represent a significant contribution to the investigator's field of study? If so, how?

Nature of Proposal

• Does the proposal provide a clear statement of overall project objectives?
• Are the proposed methodologies appropriate and accurate?
• Is the text clearly comprehensible to other academic scholars, some of whom may not be experts in the applicant’s field of study?

Leverage

• For applications in Track 1 and Track 2, does the proposal significantly improve chances for funding from existing or new sources?
• For all tracks, does the project contribute to the reputational prestige and academic excellence of the university?

Recommendations will be reviewed by the Provost, who will make final funding decisions. If you have questions, please email provost@sc.edu.