LAST CALL: Sign up for Savannah River National Laboratory Day at USC

The Savannah River National Laboratory in collaboration with the University of South Carolina invites undergraduate students, graduate students, along with faculty and staff who mentor STEM students to join us for SRNL Day on Wednesday, October 1, in the Russell House Ballroom. Participants are invited to explore internships, discover postdoctoral positions, engage in panel discussions and more. Registration is required by tomorrow, September 19, 2025.

 

Faculty: Encourage your undergraduate students to apply for grant funding

Application deadlines for grant funding through the Office of Undergraduate Research are coming up in October. Now is the time for undergraduates and mentors to review available grants to determine eligibility.

Magellan Scholar proposals are due in USCeRA by Wednesday, October 8, at 5:00 p.m. Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant applications are due by Tuesday, October 21 at 5:00pm. Grants associated with Living Learning Communities on the Columbia campus have been reenvisioned and streamlined; these grants are now called the Undergraduate Research Campus Partner Grant and have a deadline of Tuesday, October 21 at 5:00pm.

Encourage your students to contact OUR to discuss eligibility and application questions: our@sc.edu or 803-777-1141.

 

Call for Abstracts from Big Data Health Science Center

The University of South Carolina Big Data Health Science Center invites you to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations at the 7th National Big Data Health Science Conference, to be held February 12-13th, 2026, in Columbia, SC. The submission deadline is Friday, November 14, 2025. See here for more details.

 

Research Security Spotlight: Intro to Safeguarding Academia

Last spring, we announced a new unit within the Office of the Vice President for Research called the Office of Research Security. This new unit is tasked with supporting innovation, discovery and open scientific discourse while ensuring compliance with U.S. government regulations designed to keep our research enterprise safe from those who would misuse it.

To help keep our research community informed and protected, we will be rolling out a series of Research Security Spotlight features addressing hot topics in the world of research security. This week, we’re going back to basics, providing an overview from the National Counterintelligence Security Center (NCSC). Below is a summary of the NCSC’s recent Quick Reference Guide for Students and Researchers (pdf) to help you get up to speed on the nuts and bolts of research security in higher education.

Who Targets Academia? Bad actors from foreign countries, particularly those countries considered to be foreign countries of concern (currently China, Iran, North Korea and Russia) and sanctioned/embargoed countries

How Can I Tell if I am Being Targeted for exploitation? The most common methods bad actors use to approach academic targets are through unsolicited outreach, often through social media platforms like LinkedIn, via email or at a professional conference. Beware of unauthorized requests for research data, invitations from foreign talent recruitment programs especially those offering lucrative incentives or other unsolicited contacts from foreign entities.

How Can I Protect Myself, My Data and the Work of My Colleagues? Get informed by reviewing information and resources on the ORS website and completing required research security training.

 

Research reminders from the CGI Hub

• Stay updated on the Research Training Calendar
  • New trainings have been added
• Checkout the Limited Submissions Page for funding opportunities
• The SPARC Graduate Research Grant is now accepting applications (due Wed., Nov. 12), and there will be a Q&A session on Mon., Sept. 22.