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Undergraduate Research

Journey Early Researchers Grant

Everybody has to start somewhere! The Journey Early Researchers Grant is designed to to support first- and second-year undergraduate students who are new to research. This grant aims to provide early exposure to research under the guidance of a faculty mentor.

The Journey Early Researchers Grant

  • up to $1,000 per recipient for student salary
  • for projects in collaboration with a mentor
  • USC degree-seeking undergraduates in their first or second year at the Columbia campus are eligible to apply
  • SCHC students, with the exception of first-generation and OSP SCHC students, are not eligible to apply

 

*Registration for the 2025-26 workshop series

will be available in early August* 

 

  • USC degree-seeking undergraduate in their first or second year at the Columbia campus
  • No (or limited) previous research experience
  • All majors in good academic standing
  • SCHC students, with the exception of first-generation and OSP SCHC  students, are not eligible to apply

In order to be eligible for the $1,000 research salary funds, students must participate in three required workshops. These workshops occur at the start of the fall semester. All workshops are held in Russell House 304.

Tuesday Workshop Series: these workshops will be from 2:50-3:50pm on the following dates.

  1. August 26
  2. September 2
  3. September 9

Wednesday Workshop Series: these workshops will be from 10:50-11:50am on the following dates.

  1. August 27
  2. September 3
  3. September 10

To reserve a spot in one of the workshop series, please complete this form. Contact our@sc.edu with any questions.

Note: additional workshops for students interested in beginning research during the spring semester will be available later this fall.

After completing all required workshops, students will be invited to submit a Journey application. This application allows the OUR staff to begin identifying a potential faculty research mentor for the applicant.

Application information for 2025-26 will be posted in early August 2025. 

If you have any questions, please contact our@sc.edu.

The Office of Undergraduate Research staff will work to identify a faculty research mentor with whom each Journey applicant can work. We encourage students to be patient and open-minded with this process. There are a number of factors that can influence the match and the time it takes to connect with mentors, including an individual faculty member's capacity for the current semester. 

We strive to connect Journey applicants with faculty members with whom they will have a productive and positive learning experience that kick-starts their undergraduate research at USC.

Detailed Program Terms and Conditions can be found here, which include instructions and guidance for completing the requirements once a mentor and student have been matched.

 

 


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