USCB Students Across Disciplines Can Engage in Meaningful Research
Research by students — often in conjunction with faculty — is an important component of USCB academics. There are several opportunities for USCB students to seek funding for research opportunities, as well as conduct and present their research at various forums.
Both USCB and the University of South Carolina (USC) system provide funded research opportunities for qualifying students. The overarching eligibility requirement for each of these opportunities is that you must be a USC degree-seeking student (all system campuses, disciplines, and academic years). Check opportunity-specific eligibility and deadlines carefully.
Apply For these Research Opportunities
The Magellan Scholar Program
Magellan Scholar grants are offered by the USC Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) to undergraduate students at all campuses and in all disciplines in the USC system. These awards provide up to $2,500 per student for salary, materials, or travel, for projects in collaboration with a faculty, staff, or community mentor. This grant funds research, scholarly and creative endeavors.
Magellan Mini-grants provide up to $1,000 for reimbursement of qualifying travel costs, equipment and/or supplies for undergraduate students working on an approved research, scholarly or creative project in conjunction with a faculty, staff or community mentor.
To learn more about announcements, deadlines, applying, award requirements, and using your money for these two programs, click the OUR and Magellan link below.
USC Summer Research Symposium
The Summer Research Symposium sponsored by University of South Carolina features undergraduate research. The Office of Undergraduate Research hosts the symposium in the Thomas Cooper library in Columbia, which features more than 70 mentored research project posters by undergraduate student researchers. Learn more on the USC website below.
USCB Opportunities
Student Research & Scholarship Day
Student Research & Scholarship Day (SRSD) is an annual event to showcase the research and scholarship activities of USCB students. It takes place on the USCB Bluffton campus each spring. Learn more and submit a proposal:
Sand Shark Voyager Awards (Student Research Travel Funds)
USCB students may apply for a grant to aid in covering costs associated with travel to present research at various forums (e.g., USC’s Summer Research Symposium). These applications are reviewed by USCB's Student Scholarship & Fellowship Committee who may award up to $500.00 per recipient for travel to regional, national, and international research presentation forums. The primary purpose of the Sand Shark Voyager award is to assist students in traveling to present the results of research at a conference; however, on a case-by-case basis, the Committee will consider other research related experiences and opportunities for funding.
Applications for Sand Shark Voyager awards are accepted in four cycles each year. The application remains open for one week each cycle. Applications are reviewed the following week and students are notified of award status immediately following that review.
2023-2024 Award Cycles
| Cycle | Application Period | Travel Dates |
| 1 | Sept 29, 2023 | Oct 1 - Dec 31, 2023 |
| 2 | Nov 1 - Nox 8, 2023 | Jan 1 - Mar 31, 2024 |
| 3 | Feb 1 - Feb 8, 2024 | Apr 1 - Jun 30, 2024 |
| 4 | May 1 - May 8, 2024 | Jul 1 - Sept 30, 2024 |
Application Process
- Complete the Sand Shark Voyager application during the appropriate application period.
Make sure you know your estimated budget before applying. In addition to your travel
budget and mentor approval, you will need to provide the following:
- A statement (500-word maximum) describing why you want to attend the event, how you expect to benefit from the event and how attending will impact your future plans. To see a sample statement, please click here.
- Proof of conference acceptance/application (i.e., acceptance letters, etc.).
- A copy of your project abstract from your conference submission.
- If awarded a Sand Shark Voyager:
- You will be required to provide a written one-page summary of the results of your research presentation within one month following the conference.
- You should plan to present your project/research at a USCB event and/or USCB Student Research and Scholarship Day and/or Discover USC during spring semester.
- Acknowledgement of both is required in your application.
Application Evaluation Rubric
- Your provided statement clearly identifies why you want to attend. (5 points)
- Your provided statement clearly identifies how you will benefit from the experience. (5 points)
- Your provided statement clearly identifies how your attendance will impact your future plans. (5 points)
- If presenting research, your project abstract from your conference submission OR if not presenting research, a description of planned activity is provided. (2 points)
- Justification/proof of attendance is provided. (1 point)
- Confirmation of intent to provide a one-page summary following the travel. (1 point)
- Confirmation of intent to present at USCB or Discover USC is provided. (1 point)
- If travel is being conducted to present your research or to participate in research activity approved by your mentor, your application will be awarded one additional priority point.
Summer Research Experience Grant (Funding for Student Summer Research)
Hands-on research opportunities in the summer gives USCB students in-depth experience in their areas of study and helps them take their academic skills to the next level. USCB students may apply for a grant to aid in covering costs associated with research work being conducted over the summer months. These applications are reviewed by USCB's Student Scholarship & Fellowship Committee who may award up to $1000.00 to students who are working with a faculty mentor on research over the summer that is not part of any course requirements. Applications for the Summer Research Experience awards are accepted each spring semester up until the deadline of March 31st, after which the committee will review and evaluate all applications.
Application Process
- Complete the Summer Research Experience (SRE) application during the spring semester
anytime prior to the deadline of March 31st. Make sure you have established a relationship with a mentor who will support you
in working on this research over the summer months. In addition to mentor approval,
you will need to provide the following:
- A statement (500-750 words) describing the benefits derived from the research you will be doing. Benefits should address the field of study, the University (if applicable), you the undergraduate researcher, and any potential impacts to your future plans. (worth 15 points)
- A breakdown of weekly tentative activities and approximate number of hours – note that you must have consistent contact hours with your faculty mentor (e.g. meeting with them; worth 2 points)
- If awarded a Summer Research Experience grant:
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- You will be required to complete brief mentee training on Blackboard prior to starting your research.
- You will be required to provide a written one-page summary of the results of your research one week before SRE ends, as well as have your mentor sign off on your hours completed.
- You will be required to present your project/research at a USCB event and/or USCB Student Research and Scholarship Day and/or Discover USC during spring semester.
- Acknowledgement of these things is required in your application.
Application Evaluation Rubric
- Student clearly describes benefits derived from research experience for their field of study (5 points)
- Student clearly describes their own academic benefits derived from research experience (5 points)
- Student clearly describes the benefits derived from research experience for their future plans (5 points)
- Student plans consistent “contact hours” with faculty mentor (2 points)
- Student confirms this research is not part of any course requirements (1 point)
- Student confirms requirement to provide one-page summary before the end of SRE (1 point)
- Student confirms intent to present at USCB, Discover USC or some other state/regional/ national/international conference (1 point)
- If student will be living on campus during the summer, the application will be awarded 2 additional priority points.
- If student will be conducting research on campus and/or in the Lowcountry during the summer, the application will be awarded 1 additional priority point.
2023 USCB Student Summer Research Experience (SRE) Grants
- Matthew Holt - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Beneficial Microbes of sharks, corals and sea urchins"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kimberly Ritchie - Sydnee Taylor - Awarded $1,000.00 for "(Non) Religious Proselytizing - Explaining the Desire to
(De)Convert Others"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle Messick - Emily Norberg - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Comparison of beneficial microbes on two sea urchin species
across the isthmus of Panama"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kimberly Ritchie - Graceyn Yonce - Awarded $1,000.00 for "The Psychology of Religious Conversion/Deconversion"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle Messick - Francesca Piccolo-Youngblood - Awarded $1,000.00 for "(Non) Religious Proselytizing - Explaining the Desire to
(De)Convert Others"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kyle J. Messick - Carson Frey - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Molecular target-based focused screen for Chagas' disease
therapeutic drug discovery"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Edward D'Antonio - Brendan Cruz - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Black Coral Mitogenomics"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mercer Brugler - Aydanni Gonzalez - Awarded $700.00 for "Characterizing the biodiversity and anticoagulant repertoires
of marine leeches in Port Royal Sound"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mercer R. Brugler - Jacob Wright - Awarded $700.00 for "Characterizing Oyster Reef Biodiversity using eDNA"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mercer Brugler - Mason Reid - Awarded $700.00 for "Genomics of the Berried Sea Anemone from the NW Gulf of Mexico"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mercer R. Brugler - Hope Chutjian - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Characterizing Oyster Reef Biodiversity using eDNA"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mercer R. Brugler - Lauren Kippes - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Water Quality Monitoring"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tye Pettay - Lindsey Baker - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Towards Drug-Target Validation: Expression, Purification,
and Biochemical Evaluation of Trypanosoma cruzi Glucokinase Bump Mutations"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Edward D'Antonio - Garrett Willford - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Tracking Phytoplankton Communities in the Port Royal Sound
Watershed"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tye Pettay - Lily Blake - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Tracking Phytoplankton Communities in the Port Royal Sound
Watershed"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Tye Pettay - Destiny O'Neill - Awarded $1,000.00 for "Biochemical evaluation of novel Trypanosoma cruzi glucokinase
inhibitors"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Edward D'Antonio - Patrick Jones - Testing a Novel Strategy to Measure Underwater Radiated Noise of Vessels in Shallow Coastal Oceans