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Office of the Vice President for Research

New Monthly Grant Awards Report: August 2025

The Office of the Vice President for Research is pleased to share our monthly report listing new grant awards USC faculty researchers across the university system received between August 1 and August 31. Please note that some awards received toward the end of that period might have missed the reporting cut-off. In such cases, the award will be listed in the next monthly report. Our office is proud to share these successes with the university research community. Please join us in congratulating our excellent researchers on their new grant awards.

Summary of Large August 2025 New Grant Awards

PI Name

PI College/Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Tang, Chuanbing

McCausland College of Arts and Sciences

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Engineering Cationic Metallopolymers to Potentiate Antibiotics via Multiple Mechanisms National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)/NIH $2,110,560
Counts, Althea

Enrollment Management

TRIO Programs

Student Support Services Program US Department of Education (USDE) $2,070,255
Merchant, Anwar

Arnold School of Public Health 

Epidemiology & Biostatistics

The ANTENATAL Study: An ecoNomic evaluaTion of pEriodontal treatmeNt in pregnAnt women and identification of responders to Treatment using mAchine Learning National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)/NIH $1,839,130
Peng, Zhenmeng

Molinaroli College of Engineering & Computing 

Chemical Engineering

Collaborative Research: FEC: Tri-State Collaborative for Defluorination of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) National Science Foundation (NSF) $1,200,000
Abraham, Michele

Darla Moore School of Business 

Small Business Dev. Ctr.

South Carolina Department of Commerce Award Fiscal Year 2025-2026 - (State Director's Office) SC Department of Commerce (SCDOC) $1,000,000
Vasquez, Paula

McCausland College of Arts and Sciences 

Mathematics

DMS/NIGMS 2: Quantitative understanding of micellar behavior as drug delivery systems - Collaborative Research National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)/NIH $989,554
Barazanchy, Darun

Molinaroli College of Engineering & Computing 

Mechanical Engineering

ATI - Thermoplastic Induction Welding Repair  Advanced Technology International (ATI)/DOD $773,862
Poulain, Fabienne

McCausland College of Arts and Sciences 

Biological Sciences

Role of proteoglycan-mediated trans-axonal signaling in pre-target topographic sorting National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke(NINDS)/NIH $766,787
Newman, Susan

College of Nursing 

Biobehavioral Health & Nursing Science

Advancing Disability Inclusion in Nursing (ADIN): Building Capacity for Education and Employment Pathways USC Educational Foundation/The Duke Endowment $669,000

 

August 2025 Awards by College

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Cook, Larry
OFFICE OF  SUSTAINABILITY
SC DES Collegiate Recycling Grant for Fiscal Year 2026 SC Department of Environmental Services (DES)  $10,000

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Gillam, Pamela
Applied Research & Evaluation (CARE)
Implementation of a Statewide CHNA/CHIP Learning Collaborative Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina (The Duke Endowment c/o AHSC) $368,624
Boghossian, Nansi Epidemiology & Biostatistics NEST: Neonatal Excellence in Supporting Transitions USC Educational Foundation/The Duke Endowment $572,000
Merchant, Anwar Epidemiology & Biostatistics The ANTENATAL Study: An ecoNomic evaluaTion of pEriodontal treatmeNt in pregnAnt women and identification of responders to Treatment using mAchine Learning National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)/NIH $1,839,130
Frongillo, Edward Health Prom., Educ. & Behavior Food Safety Experiences Scale Phase 2 International Food Policy Research Institute $49,989

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Guest, Jessie Educational & Developmental Science From Classroom to Living Room: Equipping School-Based Mental Health Professionals to Support Aiken County Students and their Families USC Educational Foundation/The Duke Endowment  $636,000
Stodden, David Physical Education (Grad Student Award: Ozgur Altintas) Assessment for Physical Education (PE) in K-12 Educational Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study International Motor Development Research Consortium $1,000
Lewis, Ashlee Research, Eval., & Measurement  Evaluation of Arts Grow SC 25-26 (FY26) SC Arts Commission $275,000
Muller, Meir Teacher Education Claiming Space: Establishing the Jewish Scholars and Scholarship in Education SIG at AERA Academic Engagement Network $10,000

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Newman, Susan Biobehavioral Health & Nursing Science Advancing Disability Inclusion in Nursing (ADIN): Building Capacity for Education and Employment Pathways USC Educational Foundation/The Duke Endowment $669,000
Magwood, Gayenell Office of Research - Nursing South Carolina Clinical & Translational Research Institute (SCTR) Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)/NIH $601,293

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Buckhaults, Phillip Drug Discovery & Biomed Sci. COVID19 and the Molecular Determinants of Genome Integrity over Human Lifespan USC Educational Foundation/Kanro Ltd, d.b.a. Kanro Filantropic Fund $233,000
Cai, Chao Pharm - Clin Pharm & Outcomes Sciences AI-Enabled Models for Predicting Cardiac Events in Patients on QT-Prolonging Medications SC EPSCoR $70,000

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Brown Gamble, Shena Child and Family Studies, Center for Advanced Child Welfare Training for the South Carolina Department of Social Services SC Department of Social Services (DSS) $482,715
Baughman, Amber Social Work - Dean's Office SCDSS Evaluation and Other Research Contract SC Department of Social Services (DSS) $95,305
Iachini, Aidyn Social Work - Dean's Office Rural Occupations Workforce Expansion (ROWE): Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of the ROWE Community Scholars and ROWE Practitioner Initiatives SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare/SCDHHS $200,000
Xu, Yanfeng Social Work - Dean's Office Strengthening mental health provider capacity to provide trauma-informed, resiliency-based, and family-centered telemental health services to children and youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in rural South Carolina: An artific SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare/SCDHHS $100,000

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Savage, Jeffrey Moore Sch - Div. of Research CuffMate - VentureWell Program Application National Collegiate Investors & Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) d/b/a VentureWell $5,000
Von Nessen, Joseph Moore Sch - Div. of Research Laurens County Development Corporation: Economic Impact Analysis Laurens County Development Corporation $77,550
Abraham, Michele Small Business Dev. Ctr. South Carolina Department of Commerce Award Fiscal Year 2025-2026 - (State Director's Office) SC Department of Commerce (SCDOC) $1,000,000

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Counts, Althea TRIO Programs Student Support Services Program US Department of Education (USDE) $2,070,255

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Magradey, Karen Koger Center Barrier Free Arts SC - Koger Center for the Arts South Carolina Arts Commission $3,500

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

King, Adam Archaeology & Anthropology Roper Mountain Science Center Testing Project Roper Mountain Science Center - Greenville County Schools $17,983
LoPresti, Eric Biological Sciences Collaborative Research: Research Infrastructure: Bringing historic collections into the 21st century: Digitization of Southeastern Lepidopteran collections National Science Foundation (NSF) $197,825
Poulain, Fabienne Biological Sciences Role of proteoglycan-mediated trans-axonal signaling in pre-target topographic sorting National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke(NINDS)/NIH $766,787
Chen, Yan-Hua Chemistry & Biochemistry Enhanced Understanding of Sandy Run Hide Using Biochemical and Morphological Approaches Devro, Inc. $27,200
Tang, Chuanbing Chemistry & Biochemistry All Biobased Polyphenol-Derived Adhesives National Science Foundation (NSF) $480,000
Tang, Chuanbing Chemistry & Biochemistry Engineering Cationic Metallopolymers to Potentiate Antibiotics via Multiple Mechanisms National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)/NIH $2,110,560
Luo, Ruth Mathematics Extremal problems related to cycles and spanning structures in graphs and hypergraphs National Science Foundation (NSF) $182,492
Thorne, Frank Mathematics Fourier Analysis in Arithmetic Statistics National Science Foundation (NSF) $263,153
Vasquez, Paula Mathematics DMS/NIGMS 2: Quantitative understanding of micellar behavior as drug delivery systems - Collaborative Research  National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)/NIH $989,554
McDaniel, Heather Psychology An Integrative Data Analysis of the Coping Power Program: Exploration of Academic Outcomes, Subgroup Effects, Mechanisms, and Implementation Factors University of Virginia/USDE $100,015
McQuillin, Samuel Psychology Development and Evaluation of a Professional Certificate in Youth Mentoring Friends of the Children/OJJPD/DOJ $100,000
Bizimis, Michael School of Earth, Ocean & Env. Radiogenic Isotope and Platinum Group Element Analysis by the Center for Elemental Mass Spectrometry (CEMS) Services for the USGS US Geological Survey (USGS)/DOI $18,850
Romero, Isabel School of Earth, Ocean & Env. Surveillance of Pollution from Emerging Chemical Threats in Tampa Bay University of South Florida/NOAA $107,584

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Gower, R. Michael Chemical Engineering IPA (Regina Aramburo Williams) to support project number I01RX004564-01A2. WJB Dorn VA Medical Center/VA $86,926
Peng, Zhenmeng Chemical Engineering Collaborative Research: FEC: Tri-State Collaborative for Defluorination of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) National Science Foundation (NSF) $1,200,000
Barazanchy, Darun Mechanical Engineering ATI - Thermoplastic Induction Welding Repair Advanced Technology International (ATI)/DOD $773,862
De Backer, Wout Mechanical Engineering Small Satellite Summer School (S4) - USC Ground Station Coastal Carolina University/SCRA $8,000
Gray, Joshua Mechanical Engineering Measuring Mass Flow of Hydrogen Isotopes Research Savannah River Nuclear Solutions/DOE $96,159
Ling, Yue (Stanley) Mechanical Engineering Collaborative Research: CDS&E: Data-driven next-generation Lagrangian models for swarms of deforming and interacting droplets National Science Foundation (NSF) $329,976

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Toriello, Paul Basic Science Research Rural Resilience Clinic: Filling the Service Gaps to Promote Adolescent Mental Health USC Educational Foundation/The Duke Endowment $573,000
Humphrey, Mark Family & Preventive Medicine Prisma Health/UofSC School of Medicine Columbia Preventive Medicine Residency Program Public and Rural Health Training (CRPH Agreement Renewal Application) SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare/SCDHSS $78,124
Edwards, Janice Genetics Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) Center of Excellence , Level 2 Prisma Health-Midlands/Huntington's Disease Society of America $5,001
Ahuja, Divya Internal Medicine REACH: Rural Re-Engagement and Care using Community Health Workers for Persons with HIV SC Department of Public Health (DPH)/CDC $214,860
Al-hasan, Majdi Internal Medicine Housing First Program for Persons with Disabilities City of Columbia $280,000
Al-hasan, Majdi Internal Medicine Title: Continuation: Antimicrobial Stewardship Collaborative of SC (ASC-SC) Prisma Health - Midlands/SCCRPH/SCDHHS $338,607
Rotholz, David MDC Ctr Disability Resources SC Developmental Disability Council Professional Services SC Developmental Disability Council/ACL/HHS $33,772
Oskeritzian, Carole Path, Microbio. & Immunology Unraveling FcepsilonRI-independent regulation of mast cell functions by the ITCH ubiquitin ligase National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases (NIAID)/NIH $409,750
Roberts, Carla Pediatrics Sickle Cell Disease Center of Excellence Prisma Health - Upstate/SCDPH $45,172
Reagan, Lawrence Pharm., Physiology & Neuroscience IPA for Dr. Claudia Grillo WJB Dorn VA Medical Center/VA $84,680
Wood, Susan Pharm., Physiology & Neuroscience IPA Shannon Harrington -- Neural Regulation of susceptibility to hyperarousal WJB Dorn VA Medical Center/VA $161,856
Wood, Susan Pharm., Physiology & Neuroscience IPA Fiona Hollis -- Neural Regulation of susceptibility to hyperarousal WJB Dorn VA Medical Center/VA $23,573
Wood, Susan Pharm., Physiology & Neuroscience IPA Lawrence Reagan -- Neural Regulation of susceptibility to hyperarousal WJB Dorn VA Medical Center/VA $14,946

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Springhart, Jennifer Medicine Greenville University of South Carolina School of Medicine- Greenville Medical College of Wisconsin - Kern National Network for Flourishing in Medicine/Kern Family Foundation, Inc. $3,500

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Pettay, Daniel BFT Natural Sciences Determining bacteria and turbidity sources to inform management and outreach across the Edisto Island Watershed. Clemson University/SC Sea Grant Consortium/DOC/NOAA $24,741

PI Name

PI Dept.

Award Title

Sponsor

Total

Karls, Amanda UPS INSTIT EFFECTIVENESS & RESEARC FY26 DES Collegiate Recycling Grant Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling - SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) $10,000

 

To request a PDF copy of this report, please contact Elizabeth Renedo at renedoe@mailbox.sc.edu


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