USC retains position at the top of the Carnegie Foundation’s research activity designations
The University of South Carolina continues to rank among the top research institutions in America in the latest update to the Carnegie Foundation’s research activity designations, a leading framework for recognizing and describing U.S. higher education institutions. In the 2025 listings, USC earned the top research designation, which is now called “Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production.”
Our scholars’ commitment to research excellence keeps us in the top Carnegie research category year after year. Even as the classifications change, our position at the top remains unchanged because of our strong track record of innovation and the dedication of our faculty and staff to USC’s research mission.
— Julius Fridriksson, USC Vice President for Research
Learn more about what retaining this designation means for USC on our website.
Monthly Grant Awards Report: January 2025
The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to share our monthly report listing new grant awards USC faculty researchers across the university system received between January 1 and January 31, 2025. Please note that some awards received toward the end of that period might have missed the reporting cut-off. In such cases, the award will be listed in the next monthly report. To review the report for January 2025, click here.
USC National Laboratories Office hosts 2025 Discovery Dialogues
Join the USC National Laboratories Office (NLO) for three Spring 2025 seminars for USC undergraduate and graduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing. Learn more about the 2025 Discovery Dialogues here.
The next Discovery Dialogues session will take place on Wednesday, March 19, noon to 1:00 p.m. (in person and virtual). Register here.
Discover the role of U.S. national laboratories and gain insights into groundbreaking research at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL). Senior SRNL professionals will explain the Lab, the importance of team dynamics, and will also describe their hiring focus for the coming years. Hear experiences from early-career professionals and learn about the value of advanced degrees and future opportunities at SRNL.
Grant writing workshop on February 27: Specific Aims
Please join us for an insightful panel discussion on February 27, 2025, featuring distinguished faculty as they share their experiences and strategies for developing a compelling Specific Aims page. On behalf of SC’s FIRST FIIRRE program, learn about the nuances of securing funding from major agencies, including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Whether you are new to grant writing or you are seeking tips to refine your approach, this discussion will provide valuable insights to strengthen your applications and navigate the complexities of major research funding sources. The panel will include USC faculty members Mohammed Baalousha, PhD, MSc, Gayenell Magwood, PhD, RN, FAHA, FAAN, Mark Weist, PhD, and Sara Wilcox, PhD.
FIRST FIIRRE Specific Aims Panel on February 27, 2025, at 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. in Russell House 205. To learn more and register for the event, click here.
New Microscopy Training Opportunity for Undergraduate Students
The Instrumentation Resource Facility’s (IRF) Undergraduate Microscopy Workshop is the perfect opportunity to take your students’ skills to the next level. The Instrumentation Resource Facility at the USC School of Medicine Columbia is offering a free Undergraduate Microscopy Workshop, which will run from May 19-22. The workshop will introduce USC undergraduate students to cutting-edge microscopy techniques, preparing them for future academic, industrial or medical research success. The deadline to apply for the Microscopy Workshop is Friday, February 28.
Collaborative for Health Equity Research
USC-CHEER aims to create a vibrant, research-focused, cross-disciplinary network of USC faculty, staff, students and community collaborators. Our mission is to improve health and well-being for South Carolinians and beyond through collaborative, cross-disciplinary research and innovation to advance the field of health equity science.
USC researchers are encouraged to submit funding applications for USC-CHEER projects that examine important research questions related to health inequities, involving faculty collaborators from two or more disciplines.
Key CHEER dates for Spring 2025:
- Letter of Intent Due Date: Friday, February 28, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
- Application Due Date: Friday, March 31, 2025, 5:00 p.m.
- Earliest Anticipated Funding Date: May 1, 2025
Presenters & Reviewers: Register for Discover USC 2025
This year, Discover USC will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The USC community is invited to attend Discover USC and learn firsthand about current research and scholarship from hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students, medical scholars and postdocs. Work presented at Discover USC spans disciplines to represent the wide variety of scholarship at South Carolina’s flagship university.
Get an overview of the important details, changes and updates here!
Registration deadlines:
- Presenters: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
- Reviewers: Friday, March 28, 2025
The Office of the Vice President for Research launches new ASPIRE AI research funding
Since 2012, ASPIRE has been one of the university's primary funding mechanisms to support research by USC faculty at all levels, across all campuses. ASPIRE AI expands the reach of this program to include research projects focused specifically on artificial intelligence. ASPIRE AI particularly emphasizes support for faculty integrating and developing novel AI applications who intend to pursue subsequent extramural funding, as well as interdisciplinary teams who combine AI expertise with domain knowledge.
All ASPIRE AI 2025 proposals are due before 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Click here to view the 2025 ASPIRE AI information page.
If you have questions about the ASPIRE AI program, please contact Julie Morris at jamorris@mailbox.sc.edu.
20 February 2025