AI presents South Carolina with opportunities for economic transformation through coordinated innovation

From the industrial revolution to now, we have witnessed the exponential growth of day-to-day tools that make life easier for everyone. As artificial intelligence (AI) has become more accessible and reliable in recent years, researchers have been able to harness its power to drive down costs of industrial work and make sense of huge sets of crucial information.

In a recent op-ed (Post & Courier), Julius Fridriksson, USC’s Vice President for Research, wrote about AI and research innovation at the state’s flagship university. As AI presents both opportunity and possible challenges to researchers, Fridriksson notes that the “synergy between human creativity and machine precision will drive the next wave of innovation and growth.” USC will take a leading role in our state’s AI-powered future, helping to build South Carolina’s capacity for AI implementation and development. Read Fridriksson’s article here.

To begin realizing this vision, we’re offering a new faculty research development program, Propel AI. This academic-year-long program is designed to help faculty build competence in working with AI tools, develop creative applications for this technology and connect with other faculty to devise innovative, interdisciplinary scholarship around AI.

Applications for the Propel AI program are open through July 1, 2024. No previous experience with AI is necessary. All USC faculty members from all campuses, across all fields of study are eligible for Propel AI. For more information  and to apply for Propel AI, please see the announcement and call for applications here.

 

2024 ASPIRE awards support faculty research excellence 

The Office of the Vice President for Research is excited to announce the 2024 recipients of ASPIRE funding. This year, the award was granted to 21 faculty members across the USC system. In the 2024 funding cycle, ASPIRE emphasized support to early-career faculty in the pursuit of subsequent external funding opportunities. Review the list of awardees here. 

 

Upcoming deadline for administrators: STRIVE research administration training 

The Office of Research Training and Education is launching STRIVE: Strategic Training in Research Innovation and Administrative Excellence in August of 2024. STRIVE is a comprehensive and tiered training program designed specifically for research administration professionals at USC. Learn more and apply to participate by July 1, 2024.

 

Upcoming deadline for faculty: Propel Research Mentorship Program 2024-2025

The Office of the Vice President for Research is now accepting applications for Propel Research Mentorship Program 2024-2025. Complete application packages are due by Monday, July 1, 2024. Program activities for the 2024-2025 Propel class will run from August 23, 2024 through May 2, 2025, and participants will submit their proposals no later than June 2025. 

 

National Laboratories Office seeks proposals for 2025 summer REU programs 

The National Laboratories Office (NLO) is seeking faculty proposals to fund Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs to be held at USC beginning in the summer of 2025. 

The NLO will support two kinds of REU programs:

• The NLO will fund up to two new, stand-alone REU summer programs.
• Active National Science Foundation-funded REU sites may apply for co-funding of up to three additional summer participants.

To learn more about REU programs and eligibility for faculty, please review the current request for proposals, found here. Concept papers are due on Friday June 28, 2024.

 

 

20 June 2024