University of Southern California

Research

Funding Opportunities in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

To continue and accelerate USC’s rise in excellence, there are a number of programs available to bolster the scholarship of USC’s top faculty in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

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Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Answering the Call: Senate/Provost Strategic Plan Implementation Grants
Associates Award for Artistic Expression
Associates Award for Creativity in Research and Scholarship
Collaboration Fund
Early Modern Studies Institute
Provost New Strategic Directions for Research Award
Provost’s Initiative on Arts and the Humanities
Technology Advancement Grants (TAGs)
Zumberge Faculty and Research Innovation Fund

 

Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences

The ASHSS program includes three distinct funding channels targeting faculty at strategic points during their academic careers.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in November, January and February

 

Answering the Call: Senate/Provost Strategic Plan Implementation Grants

The 2018 USC Strategic Plan, Answering the Call, proposes to allocate up to $10 million over the next five years to advance goals in Four Pillars: 1) Leading Through Values, 2) Leading Through People, 3) Leading Through Impact, and 4) Leading Through Transformation.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in February

 

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.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in October

 

Associates Award for Creativity in Research and Scholarship

Annual awards are the highest honors the university faculty bestows on its members for distinguished intellectual achievements. Any faculty member can be nominated by deans or colleagues.  New applications will be due in September annually. Two awards of $3,500 are presented each year.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in September

 

Collaboration Fund

The Research 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.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in February

 

Early Modern Studies Institute

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.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in February

 

Provost New Strategic Directions for Research Award

The Provost New Strategic Directions for Research Award (PNSDRA) Program will support innovative, interdisciplinary, collaborative research that involves faculty groups from multiple USC schools. The goal of this highly competitive funding opportunity is to identify as-yet undeveloped areas of USC interdisciplinary strengths that present opportunities for cross-school collaborations, targeting research problems that have high intellectual value and impact, and are externally fundable so they can be sustained and scaled up.

PNSDRA invites applications from faculty teams across USC. Applying teams must show how their team has the qualifications, creativity, and ability to make USC a national and international leader in a significant area of study. PNSDRA grants will provide up to $125,000 in support over two years.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in May

 

Provost’s Initiative on Arts and the Humanities — Arts in Action

USC faculty and students working with community partners are invited to submit project proposals to the Arts in Action grants program on an annual basis.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in October

 

Provost’s Initiative on Arts and the Humanities — Visions and Voices

USC faculty are invited 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.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in September

 

Technology Advancement Grants (TAGs)

USC Stevens – Technology Advancement Grants (TAGs) supports early stage technologies developed at USC. The technology can be from any discipline but will have to demonstrate a strong potential for commercialization and can be advanced by an investment on the scale of $50,000 or less.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in January

 

Zumberge Faculty and Research Innovation Fund – Individual Research Award

Individual research awards support junior faculty in developing research programs and securing external funding.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in January

 

Zumberge Faculty and Research Innovation Fund – Interdisciplinary Research Award

Interdisciplinary research awards support cooperative efforts between multiple faculty across different schools and disciplines to build durable collaborative research programs and secure external funding. Small Research Grants provide up to $10,000 for projects lasting three months or less; Large Research Grants provide up to $85,000 for projects lasting up to one year.

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in February

 

Zumberge Faculty and Research Innovation Fund – Diversity & Inclusion Research Award

The Zumberge Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Research Award is aimed at supporting research and scholarship that addresses critical gaps in knowledge on equity, diversity, and inclusion, or which benefits diverse communities. To achieve these goals, the Zumberge D&I Research Award provides up to $30,000 in pilot research support

Program Information
Deadline: Usually in January

Research Calendar

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See all events in the USC Research Calendar.