Research at South Carolina
Research is a learning tool of the highest order at the University of South Carolina. Discovery allows us to illuminate history, contextualize the present, and help plan for what’s to come.
Scientific research, scholarship and creative activity abound throughout USC. That focused presence within nearly all colleges, departments and campuses of the state’s flagship university is one reason USC has earned the top research designation from the Carnegie Foundation.
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Future focused.
USC is home to interdisciplinary expert research teams that are exploring solutions to five scientific and societal challenges facing South Carolina. Their discoveries can have wider implications — benefitting any state grappling with these significant scientific and societal challenges.
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Research Spotlights
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Video: Hot Takes on the American Revolution
Combine five incredible artifacts from the USC libraries special collections with four passionate university scholars, and you get 20 minutes of fun facts, lively debate and intellectual inspiration.
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Board Briefs: Trustees approve budget, key USC Next projects
University of South Carolina trustees approved a 2026-27 fiscal year budget and advanced key projects tied to the Columbia campus’s USC Next master plan.
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Social work researcher aims to improve mental health outcomes for autistic adults
For her dissertation at Carlton University in Canada, assistant professor Margaret Janse van Rensburg collaborated with the Ottawa Adult Autism Initiative to better understand how human service workers can help autistic adults overcome barriers to accessing mental health support. Now, at USC, she is expanding on her research and working toward her goal to enhance outcomes for autistic people.
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USC board approves freezing tuition, expanding Russell House, building Civil Rights Center
University of South Carolina trustees approved a 2026-27 fiscal year budget that freezes in-state tuition systemwide and advanced key projects tied to the Columbia campus’s USC Next master plan.
Let's build a better world.
The resources of the University of South Carolina are poised to address local and global challenges. We work with public and private collaborators to provide our researchers with the resources and infrastructure they need to make a difference.
Partnership Opportunities



