2023 RFP: Excel Funding Program for Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (pdf)
2023 Excel applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
The Office of the Vice President for Research is proud to partner with the offices of the President and the Provost to offer the Excel Funding Program for Liberal Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Funding opportunities for liberal arts, humanities and social sciences scholarship are more limited than those for traditional scientific research. Excel is designed to help address this disparity by offering a dedicated funding mechanism for USC Columbia and Palmetto College faculty members to pursue these harder-to-fund projects. By providing seed funding to liberal arts, humanities and social sciences faculty, Excel also aims to bolster their competitive edge in applying for subsequent external funding.
To accommodate both single-investigator and collaborative projects, Excel offers two tracks:
- Track I Individual Grants: Up to $15,000 for projects by one faculty member
- Track II Collaborative Grants: Up to $25,000 for projects involving two or more faculty members from different USC departments working collaboratively on the same project
To be eligible for Excel, applicants must be:
- Tenured or tenure-track faculty working at USC Columbia or any of the two-year Palmetto College campuses (Lancaster, Salkehatchie, Sumter, Union and Palmetto College Columbia sites)
- Engaged in scholarship in the humanities or social sciences, or creative work in the arts
Faculty members selected for Excel funding may begin their projects at any time after the award date, and should begin work no later than Tuesday, May 16, 2023 for a project period of 12 months. Funded faculty will be expected to complete a major scholarly or creative work and share it with a broad audience through a publication, presentation, exhibition or performance. The Office of the Vice President for Research will also offer Excel recipients an opportunity to showcase their work to the USC research community through our website.
Apply for Excel
Complete program details, including allowable/unallowable costs, application procedures, information on the review process and dissemination plan, are documented in the Request for Proposals (RFP).
Questions? Contact Lumi Bakos at 803-777-0969 or Bakos@mailbox.sc.edu.