2023 RFP: Research Institutes Funding Program (pdf)
2023 Research Institutes Funding Program pre-applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
The USC Research Institutes
In spring 2023, the University of South Carolina selected five new interdisciplinary Research Institutes, each taking on a challenge facing the Palmetto State. Read more about the selected institutes, and how they will apply the expertise and skills of faculty from different fields of study to develop comprehensive, real-world solutions.
The Office of the Vice President for Research is honored to partner with the Office of the President to offer the Research Institutes Funding Program (RIFP), which provides robust, multi-year start-up funding for up to five new interdisciplinary research institutes. Through this special research funding mechanism, the university aims to invest an unprecedented $10 million in five promising collaborative research institutes with the goal of helping USC’s world-class researchers gain the preliminary results, planning, organization, vision and programmatic development needed to successfully compete on the national stage for sustainable center grants.
Groups of at least three to four (or more) tenured and tenure-track faculty investigators working at USC Columbia or the schools of medicine in Columbia or Greenville may apply for RIFP funding of up to $500,000 per year, for up to four years. Up to five institute applications will be selected for funding through a two-part application process, based on evaluations by a group of external expert reviewers. The evaluation criteria are explained in the 2023 RIFP Request for Proposals (pdf).
In addition to funding support, the primary investigators leading the funded institutes will participate in the Series on Training for Advanced Research (STAR), a program the Office of the Vice President for Research piloted in 2021-2022. Through STAR, RIFP recipients will receive guidance and mentorship from senior USC faculty members who have successfully funded and managed major federal research centers.
Apply for the Research Institutes Funding Program
Eligible faculty may submit a pre-application via USCeRA by Tuesday, November 15, 2022. Pre-application components and evaluation criteria are detailed in the 2023 RIFP Request for Proposals (pdf). Pre-applications will be evaluated by a group of external expert reviewers, and up to 10 application teams will be invited to submit a full proposal, which will be due on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. To help teams plan ahead, the invited full proposal is explained in detail in the request for proposals. Up to five invited applications will be selected for funding based on evaluations by external expert reviewers. The institutes selected for funding will be announced on Monday, April 17, 2023.
Questions? Contact Lumi Bakos at 803-777-0969 or Bakos@mailbox.sc.edu.