Funding
USC offers faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and research administrators a wide range of internal and external funding sources for research and other scholarly projects. For internal funding, please see our list below. For limited submissions, please visit the Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities. For COVID-19 funding, please visit the COVID-19 Research Continuity section of our website.
Using your USC email you can also subscribe to Grant Forward, a search engine dedicated to helping institutions and individuals find grant opportunities. In addition, Philanthropy News Digest publishes RFPs and notices of awards as a free service for U.S.-based nonprofit and grantmaking organizations.
Internal Funding Opportunities
To add or update a funding opportunity below, please fill out our Funding Opportunities Form.
| Deadline | Title | Category | Sponsored By | Amount | Date Posted | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/06/13 | Zumberge Research Coordination & Team Building - Provides opportunities to foster new collaborations between USC faculty, as well as between USC and other research institutions nationally, with the goal to support faculty teams working on collaborative, multidisciplinary new research projects. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $25,000 | 2022/05/12 | Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sustainability |
| 2022/08/30 | Peter G. Peterson Foundation Pandemic Response Policy Research Fund - Supporting research that advances our understanding of the short and long-run impact of public policies implemented in response to the pandemic. | Internal Funding | Schaeffer Center | $150,000 | 2022/05/11 | Medicine and Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Sustainability |
| 2022/05/30 | Safety Net Innovation Award - Collaboratively develop, implement and/or evaluate interventions to improve patient health, access to care, quality of care and efficiency of care within Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $150,000 | 2022/05/04 | Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/06/01 | ATRI Epstein Family Foundation Alzheimer's Research Collaboration - Supporting innovative research including basic science, clinical, and/or nontraditional approaches for promising projects that will help catalyze advances in pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in individuals with AD across the spectrum from pre-symptomatic to more severe stages of disease. | Internal Funding | Alzheimer's Research Therapeutic Institute (ATRI) | See solicitation for details | 2022/04/01 | Medicine and Health |
| 2022/04/18 | Research and Development (R&D) Priorities Award: Sustainability - The USC R&D Priorities Award provides seed funding for interdisciplinary collaborative research activities involving groups of faculty from multiple schools who are preparing a proposal for an externally funded grant in areas of R&D priorities outlined by the OMB/OSTP. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $75,000 | 2022/03/31 | Sustainability, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences |
| 2022/04/29 | USC Lusk Center for Real Estate Research Applications - The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate is pleased to announce the availability of research awards to become available in July 2021. The stipends are to facilitate high-quality research that will eventually get published in the leading scientific journals. The broad topics should be related to real estate and urban issues. | Internal Funding | Lusk Center for Real Estate | $20,000 | 2022/03/25 | Engineering and Technology, Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Sustainability |
| 2022/04/29 | USC Marshall / Greif Incubator - The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies takes founders from feasibility and development work, on to customers, a tested business model, getting distribution, building a team, bootstrapping and investment preparation. They also provide access to other supporting resources, such as legal and financial assistance. | Internal Funding | Marshall School of Business | See solicitation for details | 2022/03/25 | Engineering and Technology, Medicine and Health, Sustainability |
| 2022/05/02 | Catalyzing Pediatric Innovation Grant - CHLA and USC's pediatric medical device competition to assist the development of medical device projects for children. | Internal Funding | West Coast Consortium for Technology & Innovation in Pediatrics (CTIP) | $50,000 | 2022/03/21 | Medicine and Health |
| 2022/03/31 | Faculty Innovation Award - Provide funding for established or new, high-potential faculty research aligned with the institute’s three new interdisciplinary Research Centers: Earth & Environmental Systems; Applied Environmental Solutions; Social Transformation. | Internal Funding | Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies (WIES) | $50,000 | 2022/03/07 | Sustainability, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/04/18 | Pilot Funding: Establishing New Collaborative Research Teams - Support junior investigators launching a research program in obesity and/or diabetes; established investigators who are moving into diabetes and/or obesity research; new collaborative research teams in diabetes and obesity related research. | Internal Funding | Diabetes & Obesity Research Institute (DORI) | $50,000 | 2022/03/04 | Medicine and Health |
| 2022/04/10 | Beth and Arthur Lev Student Research Fellowship provides support for students of all disciplines doing research focused on the testimonies of the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive and/or other related USC resources and collections during the summer. | Internal Funding | Center for Advanced Genocide Research (CAGR) | $3,000 | 2022/03/03 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/03/27 | Fellowships In Genocide Studies - CAGR invites proposals for its three research fellowships for advanced-standing PhD candidates from any discipline for dissertation research focused on testimony from the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive and other USC resources. | Internal Funding | Center for Advanced Genocide Research (CAGR) | $4,000 | 2022/03/03 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/03/01 | Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center - Research program is organized around four themes: technology for improved mobility, improving mobility for disadvantaged populations, improving resilience and protecting the environment, and managing mobility in high growth cities and regions. | Internal Funding | METRANS Transportation Center | $900,000 | 2022/01/31 | |
| 2022/02/28 | Collaboration Fund - Supports the creation and development of expansive research collaborations among faculty and students working on broad interdisciplinary research topics, such as water, neuroscience, digital humanities, or the environment. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $30,000 | 2022/01/27 | Arts and Humanities, Sustainability, Medicine and Health, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/03/14 | Zumberge Diversity & Inclusion Research Award - Supports research and scholarship that addresses critical gaps in knowledge on equity, diversity, and inclusion, or that benefits under-represented and/or disenfranchised communities. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $30,000 | 2022/01/18 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/03/07 | Zumberge Individual Research Award - Helps new and junior faculty launch and develop research, scholarly, or creative programs and projects that lead to sustained professional development and extramural funding. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $30,000 | 2022/01/18 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2022/03/21 | Zumberge Interdisciplinary Research Award - Provides seed funding for broad, collaborative research activities that are interdisciplinary and involve groups of faculty from multiple schools across USC. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $85,000 | 2022/01/18 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2022/02/11 | New Venture Seed Competition - Open to all USC students, faculty and researchers. The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies' competition is an opportunity to get your business idea in front of investors and to win seed money to get you started. | Internal Funding | Marshall School of Business | $150,000 | 2022/01/03 | |
| 2022/02/22 | Donald E. & Delia Baxter Foundation Faculty Fellows Program - Program is to provide seed funding to help prepare and support young investigators as they embark on their careers and start up their independent research programs. This early stage of career development is a critical period for a new researcher | Internal Funding | Keck School of Medicine of USC | $100,000 | 2022/01/01 | Medicine and Health |
| Rolling | USC Marshall Venture Fund - The The Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies fund’s mission is to bridge the funding gap for early-stage and amplify the impact for later-stage USC-related companies; train students to evaluate, make, and manage venture investments; and engage alumni, advisors, experts, and other stakeholders in helping build the entrepreneurial ecosystem at USC and in Southern California. | Internal Funding | Marshall School of Business | $50,000 | 2022/01/01 | |
| Rolling | Supplemental Faculty Support - Funds are available to provide supplemental research grants for tenured, tenure-track, and full-time research faculty and lecturers in WiSE-eligible departments. | Internal Funding | Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) | $2,500 | 2022/01/01 | Medicine and Health, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences |
| Rolling | Startup Investment Program - The Stevens Center will invest in USC startups that demonstrate strong potential for success, as assessed by expert advisors, in exchange for equity interests granted to the university. In addition, the assessment will be used to help determine the best pathway for commercialization, and to advise the faculty inventor on business strategy. | Internal Funding | Stevens Center for Innovation | See solicitation for details | 2022/01/01 | |
| Rolling | Team Building Grant Funding Renewal Guideline - Supports ongoing team building activities from small research teams. This mechanism is intended to provide follow-on support for activities that promote the SC CTSI goal of assembling new multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams focused on clinical and community research, particularly those that are grounded in the science of team science principles. | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $5,000 | 2022/01/01 | |
| Rolling | Team Building Voucher - Supports team building activities from small research teams. This mechanism is intended to provide rapid funding for activities that promote the SC CTSI goal of assembling new multidisciplinary or transdisciplinary teams focused on clinical and community research, particularly those that are grounded in the science of team science principles. | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $3,000 | 2022/01/01 | |
| 2022/01/24 | Ming Hsieh Institute - Seeking proposals with novel therapeutic or diagnostic approaches to detect or treat disease that will initiate multi-disciplinary research teams. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $350,000 | 2021/12/07 | Medicine and Health, Engineering and Technology |
| 2022/01/28 | Early Modern Studies Institute Faculty and Ph.D. Fellowship - The Institute will offer up to two one-semester fellowships for USC faculty whose work relates to the period from c. 1450 to c. 1850. | Internal Funding | Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) | See solicitation for details | 2021/12/01 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2022/02/13 | BSEL Social Venture Coaching Competition - The USC Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab offers the annual Social Venture Coaching Competition (SVCC). Established to find sustainable business solutions to the most pressing social needs in Los Angeles, SVCC offers the opportunity for USC-affiliated teams to receive six weeks of business development coaching and $100,000+ in capital. | Internal Funding | Marshall School of Business | See solicitation for details | 2021/12/01 | Sustainability |
| 2022/02/22 | USC Undergraduate Research Associates Program - Supports faculty engaging in collaborative research with undergraduate students. The goal of this program is to provide resources that enable faculty to integrate undergraduates into their scholarly and professional activities. | Internal Funding | Office of Undergraduate Programs | See solicitation for details | 2021/12/01 | |
| 2022/02/18 | Technology Advancement Grants - TAGs support early stage technologies invented at USC through validation or proof-of-concept development. The awards add value to unlicensed USC-owned technology, aiming to increase the probability of obtaining a license in the future. These awards are not intended to fund basic research or app development. | Internal Funding | Stevens Center for Innovation | $100,000 | 2021/12/01 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2022/02/14 | Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences Grant Writing Mentorship - The ASHSS grant writing mentorship program promotes and encourages a culture of grant writing among the faculty in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences. | Internal Funding | Provost | $2,500 | 2021/10/01 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2022/01/07 | Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences Research and Creative Grants - ASHSS research and creative project grants program promotes the development of innovative and influential scholarly and creative output in the arts, humanities, and humanistic social sciences. | Internal Funding | Provost | $25,000 | 2021/10/01 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2021/11/29 | Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences Sabbatical - The ASHSS early sabbatical program supports our most productive faculty at critical moments during the research or creative process so that they are enabled to produce high-caliber work sooner. | Internal Funding | Provost | See solicitation for details | 2021/10/01 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2021/09/08 | Pilot Projects - The Center funds approximately four pilot projects each year. Awards of approximately $20,000 are available to support junior faculty with an existing research interest in the Center’s theme; junior faculty with an interest in basic or translational research; or for investigators interested in transitioning to alcohol or cirrhosis research. | Internal Funding | Southern California Environmental Health Sciences Center (SCEHSC) | $50,000 | 2021/08/12 | |
| 2021/09/20 | Environmental Health Disparities Research Pilot Projects Program - Supporting one-year research projects that aim to address scientific gaps in our understanding of the unequal burden of adverse environmental health impacts in susceptible communities. The goal of the program is to advance environmental health disparities research while also increasing representation of members of health disparity populations in scientific and community-based research. | Internal Funding | MADRES Center for Environmental Health Disparities | $50,000 | 2021/08/09 | Medicine and Health |
| 2021/10/08 | Arts in Action - The Provost’s Arts and Humanities Initiative invites USC faculty and students working with community partners to submit community-based projects that address social issues, bring people together, facilitate dialogue, and create spaces to imagine and design future change. | Internal Funding | Provost | See solicitation for details | 2021/08/01 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2021/09/24 | Visions and Voices - The Provost’s Arts and Humanities Initiative invites USC faculty to submit proposals on an annual basis to conceive and organize events that will be presented as part of Visions and Voices’ exciting and diverse programming season. | Internal Funding | Provost | See solicitation for details | 2021/08/01 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2021/11/01 | Associates Award for Creativity in Research and Scholarship - The USC Associates Awards are the highest honors the university can bestow on its members for their distinguished achievements. Faculty from all schools and academic units are strongly encouraged to nominate colleagues with exceptional records of creativity in research. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $3,500 | 2021/07/23 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2021/09/20 | Core/Shared Instrumentation Fund - Supports acquisition of shared instrumentation including equipment, datasets, and repositories that enables major research endeavors in the sciences, medicine and engineering and provides USC researchers with greater access to shared equipment and key resources. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $300,000 | 2021/07/21 | Medicine and Health, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences |
| 2021/10/04 | Strategic Directions for Research Award - SDRA supports innovative, interdisciplinary, collaborative research that involves faculty groups from multiple USC schools. The goal of this competitive funding opportunity is to identify areas of USC interdisciplinary strengths that present opportunities for cross-school collaboration and sustainable future external funding. | Internal Funding | Office of Research Initiatives and Facilities (ORIF) | $150,000 | 2021/07/21 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2022/01/25 | Faculty Bridge Funding - The primary responsibility for bridge funding rests with the deans. However, from time to time external funding situations become particularly difficult, causing interruption in funding. In these cases the WiSE program may be able to help by providing additional funds. | Internal Funding | Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) | See solicitation for details | 2021/05/19 | |
| 2022/01/28 | Major Support for Current Faculty - This competitive program offers awards of up to $25,000 and is aimed at offsetting subtle biases, barriers, and career interruptions that have been shown to hinder the advancement of women faculty in science and engineering at research universities. | Internal Funding | Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) | $25,000 | 2021/05/19 | |
| 2021/06/28 | Pfizer Centers for Therapeutic Innovation - Supports collaborations focus around joint drug discovery where the investigator brings the target, validation and knowhow, and together with Pfizer a joint drug discovery research plan is developed. Pfizer’s areas of interest are aligned with their current core research areas of: Oncology, Inflammation & Immunology, Rare Diseases, Internal Medicine. | Internal Funding | Stevens Center for Innovation | See solicitation for details | 2021/04/01 | Medicine and Health |
| Rolling | CHLA Core Pilot Program - At CHLA, the Core Pilot Program exists to supply funding support for investigators to acquire preliminary data to provide a competitive edge for securing extramural grant funding. This program is one of a number of institutional investments to grow the research portfolio of the CHLA research enterprise. | Internal Funding | Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) | See solicitation for details | 2021/03/24 | Medicine and Health |
| 2021/03/02 | National Center for Sustainable Transportation - The goal of the NCST is to produce research that directly supports the efforts of policy makers and professionals to improve the sustainability of the transportation system. | Internal Funding | METRANS Transportation Center | $500,000 | 2021/02/01 | Sustainability |
| 2021/05/07 | Early Modern Studies Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship - The USC-Huntington Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship from scholars whose research is in any area of the humanities or humanistic social sciences with a focus on early modern Americas, c. 1500-1800. | Internal Funding | Early Modern Studies Institute (EMSI) | $70,000 | 2021/01/01 | Arts and Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences |
| 2020/08/01 | Voucher Program - SC CTSI's Voucher Program is designed to help investigators start pilot studies in clinical or community research that will generate key preliminary data for more impactful funding. *As of December 15, 2020, the CRS voucher is closed for the remainder of the academic year. We will resume the voucher funding mechanism in 2021.* | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $3,000 | 2020/12/15 | |
| 2020/10/23 | Associates Award for Artistic Expression - The newly created Associates Award for Artistic Expression is the highest honor the university faculty bestows on its members for outstanding contributions in the world of the arts. Eligibility for the Associates Award includes full-time, tenure and non-tenure track faculty with at least six years of service at USC. Two awards of $3,500 are presented each year. | Internal Funding | Provost | $3,500 | 2020/09/01 | Arts and Humanities |
| 2020/08/07 | Mentored Career Development in Clinical and Translational Science Program - For Post-Doctoral Training ONLY This award is a three-year program created to support research career development for health professionals or individuals with research doctoral degrees who wish to pursue formal training and a career in clinical and translational research. | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $90,000 | 2020/06/01 | |
| 2019/10/07 | Improving Research Methods and Processes Grant - These awards are intended to support the development and testing of new approaches and/or tools that increase the speed, efficiency, safety and/or quality of clinical, community, health outcomes and/or implementation research. | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $40,000 | 2019/09/03 | |
| 2019/10/07 | Clinical and Community Research Award - Supporting: 1. Preliminary research that will lead to larger extramurally-funded human mechanistic studies, clinical trials, community trials, health outcomes research, or implementation research. 2. Pre-existing research in the above-referenced areas by incorporating a different discipline and investigator who is new to collaboration with the current team. | Internal Funding | Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute (SC CTSI) | $40,000 | 2019/07/01 |