Our Mission

The mission of the Office of the Vice President for Research is to enable pursuit of research innovation and excellence by creating an environment that supports the scholarly and creative activities of all faculty and students, and providing the infrastructure necessary for a leading research university of the 21st century. Our office:

• Supports faculty in securing funding for their research, creative and scholarly activities.
• Enhances the teaching and learning environment at the university by integrating research into the educational experience of undergraduate and graduate students.
• Ensures the integrity of research and provides assurance to governmental and private funding agencies, and to the public, that USC research is conducted in accordance with the law and the highest ethical standards.
• Promotes interdisciplinary research as an important component of economic development in the Columbia region and across the state of South Carolina.

USC has received the classification of Very High Research Activity by the Carnegie Foundation.

We are proud to serve the University of South Carolina’s outstanding faculty, scholars and researchers as they engage students by sharing their knowledge, skills, innovations and ideas. As a comprehensive research university, USC’s faculty and students engage in a diverse array of research and scholarly activities that promote innovation across the arts and humanities to mathematics, engineering and the sciences.