Office of the Vice President for Research

USC Research Institutes are now live on sc.edu

Posted on: December 6, 2023; Updated on: December 6, 2023
By Eden Prime, eprime@mailbox.sc.edu

Over the next four years, the University of South Carolina will invest $10 million in five new interdisciplinary research institutes through the Research Institutes Funding Program, an initiative sponsored by the offices of the USC President and the Vice President for Research. Each institute will work to explore, understand and offer solutions for ongoing challenges facing the Palmetto State. Tackling the region’s biggest gaps in cardiovascular health, rural education, water quality and more, the five institutes leverage the leading minds of some of USC’s various departments through collaborative, strategic research. The institutes, as announced in May 2023, embody the outstanding flagship legacy of the University of South Carolina.

The Office of the Vice President for Research thanks the USC Digital Strategy team and communications professionals from each college with an institute for their outstanding work on the unique and detailed USC Research Institute websites. They will provide excellent visibility for the institutes and create a bridge to future innovation through communication and online resource accessibility.

Learn more below about how each institute will use its dynamic, multidisciplinary approach to foster new avenues of support for South Carolinians’ health, economy and education.

USC Research Institutes on the web

The Office of the Vice President for Research is excited to announce the launch of the new website homes for each institute. Each site offers an overview of each institute, complete with faculty directories, research project summaries and an overview of SC impact. View site here.

USC Research Institute Sites

Institute for Rural Education and Development

Dr. Matthew Irvin leads the Institute for Rural Education and Development where interdisciplinary researchers work to generate improved strategies for teaching math, science and engineering (STEM) in rural areas across the state. With a holistic emphasis on the early grades, the research focuses on pedagogical methods for making STEM education accessible and approachable to rural students. The primary investigators in this institute represent diverse, multidisciplinary expertise in the College of Education, Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine.

Institute for Extreme Semiconductor Chips

Led by Dr. Asif Khan, from the College of Engineering and Computing, the Institute for Extreme Semiconductor Chips at Carolina is working to produce powerful and efficient microchips for use in the electric grid, electric vehicles, aircraft and advanced healthcare applications. The microchips are an important national security priority, and Khan’s lab takes great care to design, create and package them with real-world applications and conditions in mind. Primary investigators for this initiative come from engineering & computing, and partner colleges: the Arnold School of Public Health and the Darla Moore School of Business.

Institute for Infectious Disease Translational Research

The Institute for Infectious Disease Translational Research is on a mission to study potential public health threats, primarily diseases that are spread by insects and those transmitted from mothers to children. Led by Dr. Melissa Nolan, from the Arnold School of Public Health, the institute partners with the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Medicine and the College of Engineering and Computing. Nolan’s team spans labs in South Carolina and Central America to develop a multifaceted understanding of these diseases.

Institute for Clean Water

Dr. Tammi Richardson leads the Institute for Clean Water, which seeks new and innovative ways to monitor water quality and protect safe drinking water in South Carolina. This research works to preserve waters for use by humans and wildlife, bringing together a team of researchers from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management and the College of Engineering and Computing. Richardson’s team leverages their vast knowledge of fundamental science, resource management, civil engineering, policy and preservation to take their joint research to the next level.

Institute for Cardiovascular Disease Research

Institute for Cardiovascular Disease Research explores the correlation between chronic stress and cardiovascular complaints such as heart disease and kidney failure. Dr. Clinton Webb of the School of Medicine Columbia leads a team of researchers from the College of Engineering and Computing and the School of Medicine departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy, and Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience. The researchers at the Institute for Cardiovascular Disease Research combine their medical expertise with lab-tested research to seek new avenues for treating this pervasive affliction.

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