For the 2025-2026 academic year, we anticipate a large number of applications. This will likely result in a lower percentage of funded applications compared to previous years.
Fall Deadline: October 21, 2025 by 5:00 pm
Award Announcement Date: by December 13, 2025
Grant Duration: January 2026 through December 2026
Spring Deadline: March 24, 2026 by 5:00 pm
Award Announcement Date: by May 1, 2026
Grant Duration: June 2026 through May 2027
Eligibility
You must be:
- a USC degree-seeking undergraduate
- in good standing with the university
- working under the guidance of a faculty, staff or community mentor.
In addition:
- You may not submit a proposal during the semester you graduate.
- Preference will be given to those who have not previously received this award.
- Mentors may submit a maximum of two applications each round.
Application Process
All of the following steps are required for a complete application.
Things to consider and discuss:
- Review the student guide to mentoring.
- Talk with your mentor about the application process.
- Set up a timeline to ensure that your mentor has time to review each of your proposal drafts.
- Discuss the writing and editing process.
- Review the tasks and goals for your project.
- The key to a successful application is how well you describe your project plan. Make sure that you understand your project in sufficient detail to explain this in language that a non-expert will understand.
Download the Undergrad Research Application.
- Follow the advice/expertise from your mentor.
- Complete all sections and make note of word limits.
- Make sure you set up a timeline with your mentor for drafts and reviews.
- Ensure that your mentor reviews the final version prior to submission.
- Using the budget section of the Undergrad Research Application, work with your mentor to plan your project budget, if you are awarded.
- Carefully review the list of allowable and unallowable expenses and requirements for uses such as participant support and conference travel.
- Note: the Mini-Grant covers salary, materials/supplies and research travel. It does not cover conference travel.
- Supplies purchased belong to USC.
- salary and fringe benefits ($10 per hour is most common; most are $10-15 maximum; minimum wage as low end)
- software (such as SPSS, InDesign, etc.)
- plane tickets
- gas (for trips more than 20 miles)
- printing costs
- hotel room
- renting a kayak
- books not found through the USC library
- raffle items (for study participants — must be less than $50 each)
- participant incentives (see Undergrad Research Application for additional requirements)
- conference travel
- electronic devices (includes computers, cameras, voice recorders, etc.)
- hiring people (such as consultants)
- phones
- meals
- travel under 20 miles
- books that can be found through the USC library
- senior thesis printing costs
Special Situations and Helpful Resources
Students requesting salary must also include fringe benefits costs.
WHAT’S FRINGE? Fringe benefits are various non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. This includes things like: FICA (Social Security and Medicare), unemployment, insurance for workplace accidents (worker’s comp), etc. When you are taking classes, the only cost is worker’s comp. This means that fringe rate is calculated differently when you are taking classes and not taking classes. The budget form calculates this automatically.
refer to your application for important research abroad information.
If the project involves vertebrate animals, it must have approval through the Animal Care and Use Committee and the student must have appropriate training. If the project already has approval, the student must be added. Contact the Department of Animal Resources, 803-777-8106, iacuc@mailbox.sc.edu. For USC Aiken, contact the Sponsored Research Office.
If the project involves humans (including but not limited to interviews, surveys or review of personal/private information), mentors must review the Student Research guide. Based on this guidance from the Office of Research Compliance, most student driven projects will not require further review. Faculty oversight and student training through the CITI Human Subjects modules are required. Some projects may also require use of the Undergraduate Research Consent Form. A template is available on the Student Research page. If a student is "engaged in the research" on a mentor's project requiring IRB oversight (new or approved protocol), the student must be added. Contact the Office of Research Compliance (803-777-7095) with questions.
Use this guide to help develop your project plan and understand your responsibilities for the project.
Students should submit one application for a small group working on the same project.
Maximum Award Funding for Group Projects: Up to $1,000 per student, with a maximum of $2,000 per project.
- The primary mentor and any secondary mentors (such as graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, additional faculty mentors, community partners, etc) must each complete the appropriate form.
- The collaboration forms are sent to our@sc.edu directly by the mentor(s).
NOTE these forms are updated regularly, please be sure to use the most recent versions.
Mentoring Plan - Primary Mentor
The mentor's role on the project and the plan for student training and skill building
Mentoring Plan - Secondary Mentor
Role of secondary mentor(s) on the project and how the mentor(s) will work with and train the student.
- Include as many secondary mentor forms as needed
The online application form must be submitted with your Undergrad Research Application attached by the submission deadline.
Group applications: submit one form — alphabetically by last name.
Select "Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant" from the menu. Under Project Information upload your Undergrad Research Application as a PDF or Word document.
NOTE for all applicants: If anything on this form changes (such as title) after submission, contact our@sc.edu with the new information and we will update or delete the form for you.