In 2011, the Office of the Vice President for Research began introducing a slate of internal funding programs designed to enhance research and innovation at every level of study across every campus in the University of South Carolina System. The approach was simple: Make regular, strategic investments in the best student, faculty and postdoctoral research proposals to help our scholars build up the skills, tools and results they need to grow as innovators and compete for external funding and recognition.

Thanks to a decade of strategic investments by the Office of the Vice President for Research, we are well positioned to achieve our new research goals and continue our impact on the state and nation as a tier one research university.

- Bob Caslen, President

After 10 years of these investments, the university is now enjoying a very nice return on the initial outlay. For example, ASPIRE, which strategically funds new lines of faculty and postdoc research, new shared research infrastructure and interdisciplinary projects that tackle research problems from multiple perspectives, has helped to generate more than $10 in external funds for every dollar invested.

Vice President for Research, Prakash Nagarkatti, who designed UofSC’s slate of internal funding programs reflected, “Nearly a decade ago, the Office of the Vice President for Research developed a strategic plan focused on investment in internal funding programs to enhance the University of South Carolina’s research enterprise at every level…. As you will see in this impact assessment, we have much good news to report.”

President Bob Caslen celebrated this success, saying, “Thanks to a decade of strategic investments by the Office of the Vice President for Research, we are well positioned to achieve our new research goals and continue our impact on the state and nation as a tier one research university.”

Nagarkatti was also quick to recognize the vital contributions made by Office of Research staff over the years. “None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our excellent staff across the entire research division,” he said. “Staff from my office and the offices of Research and Grant Development, Undergraduate Research and IT and Data Management coordinate to administer these programs efficiently and tirelessly each year. And our outstanding teams in the offices of Sponsored Awards Management and Research Compliance, along with the Department of Laboratory Animal Resources, provide the direct support researchers need to perform at the highest level.”

View the University of South Carolina Research Impact Assessment (pdf) for more on how internal investments enhance research and innovation at all levels.

 

1 September 2020