Research at South Carolina
Research is a learning tool of the highest order at the University of South Carolina. Discovery allows us to illuminate history, contextualize the present, and help plan for what’s to come.
Scientific research, scholarship and creative activity abound throughout USC. That focused presence within nearly all colleges, departments and campuses of the state’s flagship university is one reason USC has earned the top research designation from the Carnegie Foundation.
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Future focused.
USC is home to interdisciplinary expert research teams that are exploring solutions to five scientific and societal challenges facing South Carolina. Their discoveries can have wider implications — benefitting any state grappling with these significant scientific and societal challenges.
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Research Spotlights
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USC professor wins state's highest scientific research honor
Susan Richardson, Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry at the University of South Carolina, has been named winner of the prestigious 2026 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.
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Governor's Young Scientist Award recognizes excellence in infectious disease research
Melissa Nolan, associate professor of epidemiology in the Arnold School of Public Health, has received the 2026 South Carolina Governor's Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. It honors her nationally recognized work to understand and prevent infectious diseases.
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After 1776, the founders designed a government that accounts for 'a degree of depravity in mankind'
The Declaration of Independence was only the first step in making a unified country. A competing set of state and local interests required a defense of the U.S. Constitution (the Federalist Papers), which sought to define the role of government to keep basic human impulses toward political abuse, self-interest and even violence in check.
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Research center building ecosystem in autism, neurodevelopmental disorders
From helping to establish a popular undergraduate neuroscience major to attracting millions in research grants, the Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment Research Center at USC has achieved notable success since its launch seven years ago. And the momentum isn’t slowing. The center’s leadership has ambitious plans to serve more citizens of South Carolina.
Let's build a better world.
The resources of the University of South Carolina are poised to address local and global challenges. We work with public and private collaborators to provide our researchers with the resources and infrastructure they need to make a difference.
Partnership Opportunities



