Training & CER Workshops

Research Training Finder

All investigators funded by an externally sponsored project must complete grants management training (as explained here). A search tool has been developed for USC faculty, PIs, postdocs, students, research staff and lab technicians: This Research Training Finder tool is a comprehensive matrix for training courses that are required and suggested for University research compliance.

Research-Related Events and Training

For upcoming research-related events and training, visit our Research Calendar. If you’d like to submit an event to the calendar, follow these instructions.

Navigating Research @ USC 2020

The Office of Research invites faculty, research staff, postdoctoral researchers, PhD students and graduate students to participate in two research forums (via Zoom):

USC Research During COVID-19
Wednesday, August 19, 1:00pm-4:00pm

This research forum will cover updates and guidance related to policies for research during COVID-19, including talks about USC Health, Environmental Health and Safety, Campus Access, Human Subjects & Field Research, Animal Research, Contracts & Grants, Core Facilities, and COVID-19 Funding Landscape & Opportunities.

See the full agenda. Take a look at the Q&A.

Presentations:

Navigating Research @ USC
Thursday, August 20, 10:00am-12:10pm and 1:10pm-4:00pm

This research forum will cover campus-wide resources available to support research and scholarly work at USC. Topics will include research committees, core facilities, networking/mentorship, diversity, external and internal funding sources, grant proposal writing, grants management, research integrity & compliance, technology transfer, and research communication, among others.

See the full agenda. Take a look at the Q&A.

Presentations:

Fall 2020 CER Schedule

Guide:
↔ Collaboration
$ Funding and Grant Writing
✪ Professional Development
✎ Research Resources and Methods

Each semester, the Center for Excellence in Research organizes workshops for USC researchers. These courses are designed to provide faculty, research staff, postdocs, PhD students and graduate students across all fields of study with specialized skills and knowledge in seeking funding from government, foundation, and corporate organizations as well as a variety of other topics.

Do you have an idea for a CER workshop? We’d love to hear from you!

Join our mailing list. For more information, contact us at usccer@usc.edu.

✎ Introduction to Advanced Research Computing Resources and Services
Thursday, October 1, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

BD Kim, Director
High-Performance Computing
Information Technology Support Services

Nearly all scientific and engineering disciplines confront challenges in dealing with a vast amount of data or modeling complex processes across many scales. BD Kim will will cover high-performance computing, cloud solutions, data workflow management, and other research computing related topics.

$ How to Obtain NIH Funding
Wednesday, October 7, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Steven Moldin, Executive Director
Research Advancement
Office of Research

The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world, investing more than $32 billion a year. Steve Moldin will review the NIH grant process — from conceptualizing your proposal to getting funded — as well as show you how to identify which institute to target, prepare for the review process, and build relationships with agencies.

$ How to Apply to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Public Scholars Program
Friday, October 9, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

This event is co-organized by the Levan Institute for the Humanities and Center for Excellence in Research.

A conversation with Mark Silver, program officer for the NEH Public Scholars program, about applying for a research grant from the NEH. The session will provide an overview of the grants offered by the NEH’s Division of Research programs, with an emphasis on the Public Scholars program, which offers support to individual authors writing well-researched books in the humanities for the broad public. Dr. Silver will address the eligibility requirements, how to apply, how applications are reviewed, and how to write an effective application. The session is free and open to the public. The next application deadline for the Public Scholars program is December 16, 2020. For more information on NEH, see neh.gov.

$ Obtaining Funding from Foundations
Thursday, October 15, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Hossein Pourmand, Senior Executive Director
Corporate and Foundation Relations
University Advancement

There are thousands of charitable foundations around the world looking to fund research — the challenge is finding the right one for you. Learn from Hossein Pourmand how you can build a meaningful relationship with a foundation and the process, as well as resources available at USC to help you along the way.

✎ Grounded Theory Analysis: A Data-Driven Approach for Qualitative Research
Thursday, October 22, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Rachel Carmen Ceasar, Research Associate
Preventive Medicine
Keck School of Medicine

50 study participants. 75 hours of recorded interviews. 1250 pages of transcripts. Sometimes an Excel spreadsheet analysis just doesn’t cut it. When shifting through tons of qualitative data, grounded theory methods can be a helpful tool to systematically organize and make sense of it all. Rachel will introduce you to a powerful analytical method for documenting research decisions and insights in a way that is transparent, reflexive, and rigorous.

You’ll learn how to:
– Read transcripts for contextual themes
– Develop a “codebook” or a set of thematic areas to systematically “code” or tag across all data
– Analyze, track, and code data into theories and statements
– Identify recurring patterns across data and develop evidence-based opportunities

$ USC Awards to Fund Your Research
Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM

Silvia R. Da Costa, Director
Faculty Research Relations
Office of Research

Aileen Dinkjian, Project Manager
Clinical Translational Science Institute
Keck School of Medicine

Jennifer Dyer, Executive Director
USC Stevens Center For Innovation
Office of the Provost

New to USC/CHLA or need a refresher on the internal funding available to researchers? Silvia da Costa, Aileen Dinkjian and Jennifer Dyer will review the grant programs supporting research and technology development, as well as give you guidelines and tips on how to ensure your proposal is a success.

$ Securing Corporate Funding for Your Research
Thursday, November 12, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Hossein Pourmand, Senior Executive Director
Corporate and Foundation Relations
University Advancement

In 2016, businesses provided $4.2 billion in academic research funding, largely directed toward life sciences and engineering. Hossein Pourmand will discuss the commercialization process and how the University Advancement can help you find a partner, negotiate a license, and market your product.