The Advanced Support for Innovative Research Excellence (ASPIRE) program was initiated in 2012 to fund promising research
and shared research infrastructure to help strengthen the University of South Carolina’s competitiveness for external grants and bolster scholarship throughout the USC System.

The following recipients were successful in obtaining ASPIRE internal funding for their proposals:

ASPIRE-I: Innovation recipients, sub-track I, Junior Faculty Development
Professor Thomas Makris - grant funded in the amount of $15,000
Title: "Dioxygen-Dependent Mechanisms for Carbon-Carbon Bond Cleavage"

Sub-track IIB, Postdoctoral scholar development
Rachel Saylor, a member of Parry Hashemi’s Group,  – grant funded in the amount of $5,000
Title:  "A Combined Voltammetric and Microscopic Investigation of Serotonin Neurochemistry"

Sub-track IV, Senior faculty exploration
Professor Sheryl Wiskur – grant funded in the amount of $15,000
Title: "Synthesis and Initial Testing of Triphenylsilyl Reagents for Trifluoromethylation"

ASPIRE II: Integration recipient
Professor Qian Wang, Co-PI – Professor Thomas Makris, - grant funded in the amount of $100,000
Title: "Center for Chemical Innovation (CCI) for Multi-Enzyme Assemblies for Efficient Catalysis"

ASPIRE III: Infrastructure Recipients
Professor Andrew Greytak – grant funded in the amount of $100,000
Title: "Acquisition of isothermal titration calorimeter for Biochemistry and Nanoscience research development"