Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate the evolving federal R&D landscape. To address the current challenges, the OORI team organized a workshop, Pivoting with Purpose: Reframing Research in Changing Times, on April 22. Over 330 participants joined the discussion and Q&A about how researchers can stay resilient and forward-looking in the face of evolving federal priorities and policies.
Although this may offer little comfort to those who have experienced funding losses due to project terminations and stop work orders, these directives account for less than 1.5% of our awards. Additionally, while the current fiscal year has not yet concluded, USC researchers have already submitted 4,063 proposals requesting $5.02 billion in FY25, compared to 3,668 proposals requesting $3.9 billion over the entirety of the previous fiscal year.
On June 5, ten startup companies will showcase their ideas during the USC and Techstars Spring 2025 Demo Day at Ginsburg Hall. This offers opportunities for innovative pre-seed companies to accelerate growth, advance business plans, and leverage our dynamic USC ecosystem. This 13-week, in-person, on-campus accelerator welcomed its inaugural cohort in March 2025. The participating companies have been paired with mentors from both within and outside USC. While the accelerator is open to startups from all industries, it focuses particularly on bioscience, engineering, artificial intelligence, healthcare, deep tech, and media technology.
I commend your perseverance and dedication. Our continued success relies on our collective grit and optimism to perform transformative research, creating useful solutions and innovations.
I look forward to having coffee with many of you and learning more about your important work.
With deep gratitude,
Ishwar K. Puri, Senior Vice President, Research & Innovation and Professor
FACULTY ENGAGEMENT: Congratulations to our ECIA student innovators! OORI’s Early Career Innovator program facilitates opportunities for students to gain real-world experience, enhance their entrepreneurial skills, and gain access to valuable networking and growth opportunities. We are happy to announce that 29 students will join a USC start-up for a 3-month long immersive experience, where they will be able to contribute their own expertise, engage in hands-on learning, and gain valuable entrepreneurial skills. These experiences will prepare them for a career as a successful entrepreneur.
Congratulations – Student Empowerment Program! OORI’s Student Empowerment program provides a strategic investment to support USC students to develop valuable entrepreneurial skills. Student projects focus on a variety of activities, including but not limited to idea generation, business plan development, market data gathering, product development, proof-of-concept validation, and the commercialization of intellectual property (IP) created by student inventors Faculty mentors for the FY25 cycle are Bhavna Sharma (USC School of Architecture), Cameron Egan (USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences), Chris Swain and Thomas Dadourian (USC Iovine and Young Academy) and Joseph Wang (USC Viterbi School of Engineering).
Center for Excellence in Research: We’re looking for ideas or volunteers to teach a one to two-hour workshop via Zoom this fall on topics such as research resources/methods, professional development, grant writing, etc. Do you have an idea for a workshop? Or want to help researchers learn skills that will help them improve their work? Submit a proposal and we’ll get back to you soon. To be updated about upcoming workshops, please visit our website or join our mailing list.
RESEARCH STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT: Research Strategy and Development staff have developed a tool that efficiently scans proposal documents for ‘trigger’ words that may signal potential conflicts with recent executive orders. This resource is designed to streamline the final review process before submission. For more information or to access this service, please contact Jordan Locy at locy@usc.edu.
Are you ready to grow your early-stage startup with business development support, pitch coaching, and expert mentorship? The USC and Techstars University Catalyst Program is now accepting applications! This part-time, primarily virtual pre-accelerator program runs this fall from September to November 2025. USC faculty, staff, students and alumni founders will gain access to virtual masterclasses with a focus on business development, pitch coaching and pitch deck design, 1:1 mentoring through the USC and Techstars network, and founder collaboration opportunities. Learn More & Apply Today.
DEPARTMENT OF CONTRACTS & GRANTS:
Micro Learning Monday:
The Department of Contracts and Grants continues to enhance research support through our MicroLearning Mondayinitiative, launched this month to deliver quick, targeted guidance on research administration topics. Our first sessions covered an overview of the initiative and how to accurately determine activity types in sponsored projects. These brief learning modules are published biweekly and designed for easy, on-demand access.
Research Security Training DOE:
Additionally, please note the new Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Research Security Training Requirement, effective May 1, 2025. This mandatory training applies to all individuals participating in DOE-funded research who contribute in a substantive and meaningful way to the development or execution of the project scope. The new training requirement aims to strengthen research security awareness and compliance.
Monthly Training Dates for May:
The Department of Contracts and Grants offers on a monthly basis, and upon request, a pre-award and post-award training. The pre-award training walks administrators through the proposal process at USC covering; roles and responsibilities, how to route proposals through the Cayuse system, and USC processes and policies to be aware of. The post-award training provides an overview of roles and responsibilities, cost principles, common post award issues and how/when to seek sponsor prior approval. Below are the dates and times that the trainings will be available in May:
Pre-Award Training: A Walk-Through Cayuse SP and the Proposal Process
Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/3436532845
Tuesday, May 20th from 3:00 – 4:30 pm PDT
Post-Award: Managing Common Post Award Issues and Questions
Zoom Link: https://usc.zoom.us/j/3436532845
Thursday, May 22nd from 3:00pm – 4:30pm PDT
STEVENS CENTER FOR INNOVATION: We’re thrilled to announce Rosemary Kiser as our new Director of Technology Licensing! Dr. Kiser is a licensing and business development professional and registered U.S. patent agent with more than 14 years of experience spanning university, startup, and corporate settings. In this leadership role, Dr. Kiser directs the licensing team and facilitates the patenting and licensing of USC inventions. Prior to joining USC Stevens, she managed patents and licensing at Caltech for technologies in chemistry, materials, and climate sectors. Dr. Kiser has licensed university inventions to 15 startups that have collectively raised over $450M in venture capital and industry funding. Prior to working in technology transfer, she conducted postdoctoral research in polymer chemistry at Caltech and worked in business development at a startup that was acquired by ExxonMobil. Dr. Kiser holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stanford University. Please join us in welcoming her to the Trojan Family!
In mid-April, the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy hosted the final round of the Mark and Semira Moshayedi Innovation Award competition, showcasing the entrepreneurial creativity of USC graduate students. The $5,000 award recognized projects with strong potential to advance occupational science and therapy, address unmet or emerging needs in the field, and create meaningful societal impact. After a rigorous two-stage review process, three finalists presented their innovations to a distinguished panel of judges from the broader Chan community, including USC Stevens Technology Licensing Manager Dr. Larry Cabral Gonzaga, Lisa Guili, and Dr. Sook Lei Liew. This year’s winner, Alexandra Arguelles, was recognized for her project, “Next Steps: Skills for Life,” which impressed the panel with its thoughtful design and potential to positively influence practice. The event highlighted the division’s dedication to supporting student-led innovation that bridges science, practice, and community impact!
In May, USC researchers will have a presence at this year’s LABEST Bioscience, hosted by the UCLA Technology Development Group. Dr. Pinchas Cohen, Dr. Denis Evseenko, and Dr. Erin Overstreet will be LABEST speakers. On May 22nd, Dr. Cohen and Dr. Overstreet will join the “Translating GeroScience into the Clinic” panel and will discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in moving aging-related discoveries from the research bench into clinical and commercial settings.
DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL RESOURCES: Per Diem Reminder: all species per diem and service rates will be increasing on July 1st as advertised in the 5 Year Rate Schedule posted early 2024. The mouse per diem will be $1.42 and the rat per diem will be $2.42, please see the link for all species and upcoming years.
The University’s hiring freeze has caused DAR to operate at a 17% staff deficit, the highest ever deficit reported for the current animal census. To preserve essential operations amid staff shortages, DAR is now forced to suspend or scale back certain practices. These emergency measures include:
- Delaying animal purchase orders
- Suspension of autoclaving for racks
- Phasing out the use of shoe covers
- Reduce single-housed and juvenile mouse cage changes to every 28 days
- Performing facility cleaning tasks sporadically: disinfection of walls, ceilings, mopping and buffing of floors
- Limit Reserve Cage Card printing
- Direct service charges for Pink Sticker Euthanasia for labs requesting for DAR staff to euthanize animals
All above measures will gradually go into effect by May 12. These are not cost-saving solutions, but rather short-term crisis adaptations to ensure all currently housed animals are still provided with the same adequate care as according to federal guidelines. We appreciate the research community’s patience as we operate below critical staffing levels. More information, including what you can do to help, can be found at dar.usc.edu.
Did You Know: included in your per diem rate for the species you work with, is the accessibility to a concierge veterinary medical service? For example, if you need a prescription for an IACUC approved drug that you can only get at a pharmacy and do not have a medical license to acquire the drug, a DAR licensed veterinarian can write the prescription for you.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY: This month, EH&S would like to highlight two important research safety topics. First, researchers working with certain biological agents should review the revised Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) policy to understand their responsibilities for mitigating potential risks. A DURC town hall was held on April 29 and discussed revised DURC guidelines – more information can be found here. Second, proper maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for lab safety – regular inspection, cleaning, and replacement help prevent contamination and can reduce the impact when an incident occurs. Review PPE maintenance guidance on EH&S’ new PPE Maintenance Webpage. For questions about either of these topics, please contact us at ehs@usc.edu.
Monthly updates are archived here.