Sponsored Award Activity Executive Summary Research and
Transcript of Sponsored Award Activity Executive Summary Research and
Research and
P O W E R F U LP A R T N E R S H I P SSponsored Award Activity
Executive Summary
Dear Friends:
I am pleased to present this executive summary of the University of South Carolina’s Annual Report of Sponsored Awards Activity for FY 2005.
During this period, our faculty attracted $166.2 million in funding from external sponsors in support of a variety of research, public ser-vice, and training projects. This 11.3 percent increase over last year’s $149.3 million total continues the pattern of growth we have experi-enced over the past three years and reflects USC researchers’ persistent embrace of innovation in their investigations and problem-solving across disciplines as diverse as the physical and health sciences, the liberal arts, and engineering.
Their achievements in these fields, sustained by the work of USC staff and students, are steadily moving South Carolina’s economic development into the knowledge arena while propelling progress on the University’s research goals and the realization of our research campus.
To learn more about USC’s research programs and how we’re making “what if?” what is, I invite you to visit us online at www.sc.edu/ research. As always, if you have any questions or comments regard-ing this executive summary or the research underway at USC, please contact me at 803-777-5458 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Harris PastidesVice President for Research and Health Sciences
Research and
USC SPONSORED AWARDS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
Biomedical ResearchUSC’s biomedical research was buoyed by
Health Sciences South Carolina’s award of its
first endowed-chair matching grant—$5 mil-
lion—toward the establishment of the South
Carolina Brain Imaging Center of Excellence.
The center will serve as the impetus for an
industrial cluster in the multidisciplinary
field of brain imaging, integrating the intel-
lectual resources of USC and MUSC with
new physical resources so the two universi-
ties can jointly compete internationally for
funding, people, and projects. The research
projects will target neuro-degenerative
diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer’s, and
Parkinson’s disease. The award will also
provide for the purchase of a 3 Tesla MRI
scanner, which will be located in a facility on
the campus of Palmetto Health Richland and
linked through the Brain Imaging Center to
two other scanners located in the state.
Additionally, a USC cancer research team
received a $2.5 million grant from the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) as part of
a $95 million national effort to reduce cancer
among minorities and the poor—people who
have higher rates of the disease.
This achievement was complemented by the
award of a $9 million National Science Foun-
dation (NSF) award to USC and partners
Clemson University, MUSC, South Carolina
State University, and Claflin University to
boost collaborative research in biomedicine.
The grant, which is being matched with $4.5
million in nonfederal funding was received
through South Carolina EPSCoR—Experi-
mental Program to Stimulate Competitive
Research—a federal-state-university partner-
ship. USC will focus on measuring, modeling,
and controlling biochemical, biomechanical,
and cellular phenomena to develop specialized
A Y E A R O F A C H I E V E M E N T
USC capped its research achievements in FY 2005 with the South Carolina Budget and Control Board’s final, unanimous approval of the University’s research campus initiative, which cleared the way for the state’s issuance of $58 million in bonds. As proscribed by the Research University Infrastructure Improvement Act, these state monies will be matched by funds from the private sector, as well as funds from the city and county to build parking garages, and funds from the federal government in the form of grants totaling more than $65 million.
With the total value of the Phase 1 projects (scheduled for completion in 2007) expected to exceed more than $142 million, the University of South Carolina is marking a significant milestone in its history as we move forward to connect our state’s economic development to the potential of our scientific research in four primary areas: biomedical, environmental, future fuels, and nanotechnology.
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gating the societal implications and ethics
surrounding nanoscience technology was
awarded a $1.3 million NSF grant. Spanning
four years, the grant is among the largest ever
awarded by NSF to explore the consequences
of an emerging science. USC’s research covers
the philosophy of science, the depiction of
nanoscience, the concepts and ethics of risk,
and the public perception of nanoscience.
An EPA grant of $334,750 awarded to three
USC researchers will determine how some
common nanomaterials interact in biological
and ecological settings.
In addition, USC’s NanoCenter hosted a
spring symposium on the future of nano-
science and plastics that attracted many
of the nation’s top scientists and leaders
in that industry. With a focus on polymer
nanocomposites and their role as a value-
added competitive advantage, participants
examined how researchers and business
can further develop South Carolina’s largest
manufacturing activity. Earlier in the year, a
USC-hosted international conference on the
ethics of nanotechnology attracted speakers
from 10 countries and 35 universities to
address nanomedicine, military applications
of nanotechnology, patents and intellec-
tual property, and utopian and apocalyptic
visions of nanotechnology.
FY 2005 also witnessed a license agreement
between the University of South Carolina
Research Foundation and Ometric Corpora-
tion to commercialize Multivariate Optical
Element technology which enables applica-
tion-specific measurements of chemical
compositions at the speed of light. This
technology is based on research by Dr. Micky
Myrick in USC’s Department of Chemistry.
A Y E A R O F A C H I E V E M E N T
cells and tissues, with special emphasis on
cardiovascular tissue.
Environmental ResearchWhere human activity intersects with the
natural environment, problems invariably
arise. To address those problems, USC’s
environmental research explores pollution
prevention, bioremediation, sustainable
development, and other important topics
in the environmental arena through an
interdisciplinary approach that draws upon
the help and expertise of a variety of faculty
and facilities.
In FY 2005, USC joined the national network
of Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units
(CESUs), an important partnership focused
on connecting federal agencies—including
the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest
Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service—with universities engaged in envi-
ronmental research. Through the 17 regional
CESUs, participating agencies can award
contracts to the participating universities
for mutually agreed-upon research projects
on a no-bid, noncompetitive basis. USC’s
participation aids environmental research,
thanks to a streamlined means of obtaining
funding from the partnering federal agencies.
It also adds visibility for USC’s environmental
research at the federal level.
NanotechnologyA “new frontier” in scientific exploration,
nanotechnology entails the actual manipula-
tion of individual atoms and molecules to
create unimaginably small structures and
devices. Bespeaking nanotechnology’s new-
ness, USC researchers’ interest in investi-
USC SPONSORED AWARDS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3
A Y E A R O F A C H I E V E M E N T
Future FuelsUSC’s research on nontraditional energy
sources focuses on the Electrochemical
Engineering Center and the National Science
Foundation Industry/University Cooperative
Research Center for Fuel Cells, recipients of
some of the largest grants in USC’s College
of Engineering and Information Technology.
The research spans new materials for bat-
teries and capacitors, fuel cells, and gaseous
solids.
Home to the nation’s only NSF-funded
Industry/University cooperative fuel-cell
research center, USC has now entered into an
agreement with the Korea Institute of Energy
Research (KIER), one of that country’s most
prestigious energy research institutes, to
strengthen hydrogen fuel-cell development
efforts already underway at each institu-
tion and to address the alternative energy
issues Korea and the United States have in
common. A separate but similar agreement
with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar
Energy Systems expands the University’s
fuel-cell initiative to a third continent, raises
its global research stature internationally, and
establishes a research partnership for energy
alternatives including fuel cells, hydrogen
storage, hydrogen production, chemical
energy conversion, and other electrochemical
storage devices
FY 2005 also witnessed the cities of Aiken,
Columbia, and Greenville joining forces
with the University and the Savannah River
National Laboratory on researching fuel
cells and nontraditional energy sources. This
cooperative effort—the South Carolina Next
Energy Initiative—will join together state-
wide research and economic development
efforts on hydrogen, fuel cells, and other alter-
native energy sources. The impetus behind
the initiative is the creation of an economic
cluster that, in combination with Clemson’s
International Center for Automotive Research
and Aiken’s Hydrogen Coalition, can trans-
form the economy of the entire state.
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A Y E A R O F A C H I E V E M E N T
Humanities and the Professions
College of Arts and SciencesThe Baruch Institute was awarded a $2.4
million National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) grant for the Carolinas
Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction
System (Caro-COOPS), a partnership among
the University of South Carolina, North Car-
olina State University, and the University of
North Carolina at Wilmington. Caro-COOPS
information, based upon an instrumented
array of coastal and offshore moorings, will
be used to monitor and model estuarine
and coastal ocean conditions and to develop
predictive tools (and ultimately forecasts)
for coastal managers. Future applications of
Caro-COOPS information will include water
quality and transport of pollutants, sediment
transport and shoreline stability, and the state
of the fisheries. The Baruch Institute was also
awarded $889,000 from the Office of Naval
Research for SEA-COOS Initial Implementa-
tion and $544,275 from NOAA for research
on Urbanization and Southeastern Estuarine
Systems.
How people become terrorists, what moti-
vates them to strike, and how communities
cope with their threat became the focus for
faculty researchers Susan Cutter (USC Prin-
cipal Investigator), David J. Cowen, Michael
Hodgson, Marcia de Castro, Diansheng
Guo and Frank Hardisty, geography; Walter
Piegorsch, statistics; John Rose, computer sci-
ence; and Ann Bowman and Mark Tompkins,
political science; as they began collaborating
on a $12 million federal grant to the Home-
land Security Center of Excellence on Behav-
ioral and Social Research on Terrorism and
Counter-Terrorism located on the campus of
the University of Maryland.
School of LawThe Children’s Law Office (CLO), a statewide
resource center that also performs research-
based projects, promotes increased knowl-
edge of children’s legal issues, and seeks
to improve the administration of justice in
children’s cases, successfully completed its
Status Offender Project in FY 2005 through
a Juvenile Accountability Block Grant of
$155,000. CLO was also awarded an ad-
ditional Juvenile Accountability Block Grant
of $200,000 to assess the juvenile detention
process and develop interventions. Addition-
ally, CLO entered into outreach and training
contracts totaling $772,879 that included
legal training to child protection casework
staff, training for professionals required to
report child abuse and neglect, coordination
of the South Carolina Children’s Justice Act
Task Force, and development of a Truancy
Guide for education and legal professionals.
The South Carolina Bar Foundation provided
CLO another $65,000 to provide training
and technical assistance to attorneys and
guardians ad litem in child protection and
juvenile justice cases.
USC SPONSORED AWARDS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
A Y E A R O F A C H I E V E M E N T
School of Music
With a focus on music’s important role in
human life—a focus that resonates with
the greater USC focus on economic, social,
cultural, and aesthetic research and develop-
ment, the School of Music is simultaneously
preparing new professional musicians with
the skills and knowledge to be successful in
their careers and championing music’s power
in all our lives. In FY 2005, these efforts were
recognized with grants totaling $33,000 from
the American Music Center Aaron Copland
Recording Grant Fund, National Endowment
for the Arts, Lila Wallace-Readers Digest
Foundation, and Philip Morris Companies for
faculty and student recordings in the School
of Music.
In addition, grants totaling $25,000 were
awarded by the Bostik Family Trust, Strings
Magazine, RPS, Columbia Junior Service
League, and the Cultural Council of Lex-
ington and Richland Counties for enhance-
ment of community outreach programs
and research projects associated with these
programs in the School of Music.
Meanwhile, the Presser Foundation, Friends
of Music, Merrill Lynch Corporation, and
Kahn Construction provided $22,650 to sup-
port scholarships for students specializing in
music performance research.
Moore School of BusinessThe Moore School of Business (MSB) Center
for International Business Education and Re-
search (CIBER), through its annual $360,000
award from the Department of Education,
funded over 25 faculty research projects in
FY 2005 including the Economic Impact of
Latin American Workers in South Carolina
and Sub-Saharan Africa Emerging Markets.
The faculty research projects produced more
than a dozen journal articles, 14 CIBER
Working Papers, and additional curricula in
the international MBA and undergraduate
international business major programs.
CIBER also leveraged its funds to serve as
both member and co-sponsor (along with
Duke University, the Wharton School, and
other CIBER schools) in the Intercultural
Edge Research Teaching Consortia and
the Journal of International Business Studies/
Academy of International Business / CIBER
Conference on Emerging Research Frontiers
in International Business Studies. A co-spon-
sor of four overseas Faculty Development in
International Business programs with several
other CIBER schools, the MSB CIBER also
sent 13 USC faculty members — and one
sponsored HBCU (Historically Black Col-
leges and Universities) faculty — to South
America, Eastern Europe, India, and China
to gain expertise in business activities and
academic research opportunities in those
emerging markets.
School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism ManagementFaculty members Drs. Charles Partlow and
Betsy Bender worked with faculty from the
Moore School of Business to study corporate
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strategy in multinational hotel firms, an
$80,000 research project funded by the Al-
fred P. Sloan Foundation Industry Center for
Travel and Tourism at the University of South
Carolina. Visits to corporate headquarters of
four major hotel companies and interviews
with top executives are used to identify
strategic drivers for success and other issues
impacting the global hospitality industry.
Areas that attained significant research
funding in FY 2005 include USC health sci-
ences, $60.1 million (the colleges of nursing,
pharmacy; and social work; the School of
Medicine; and the Arnold School of Public
Health); the College of Arts and Sciences,
$44.2 million; the College of Engineering and
Information Technology, $25.3 million; and
University Libraries, $14.2 million. Notable
awards included:
n $3.9 million from the Department of
Energy and $3 million from the South Car-
olina Commission on Higher Education’s
Centers of Economic Excellence program
to researchers in the College of Engineer-
ing and Information Technology to develop
hydrogen energy alternatives.
n $5.2 million from the South Carolina
Department of Social Services (DSS) to
researchers in the Center for Child and
Family Studies, College of Social Work,to
develop training for DSS staff and agents.
n $883,019 from the U.S. Department of
Education to researchers in the College of
Education to develop teacher preparation
programs.
n $700,000 from the U.S. Department of
Defense to researchers in the Department of
Mathematics to develop defense applica-
tions for nonlinear methods for supervised
learning.
n $2.5 million from the National Institutes
of Health and $662,969 from National
Institute of Diabetes to researchers in
the Arnold School of Public Health to,
respectively, reduce cancer among South
Carolina’s minorities and the poor (who
experience higher rates of the disease); and
to bridge barriers to diabetes control with
telemedicine.
n $1.5 million from the Centers for Disease
Control, $958,824 from the National
Institute on Drug Abuse, and $467,175
from the National Institute of Child Health
& Human Development to researchers in
the Research Consortium on Children and
Families to enhance parenting skills.
n $444,705 from the National Science Foun-
dation to researchers in the Department of
Biology to investigate genetic expression in
food crops.
n $4.9 million from the U.S. Department of
Education for the enhancement of programs
provided by the Strom Thurmond Wellness
and Fitness Center.
Looking ahead, USC faculty will continue to
embrace innovation in their investigations
and problem-solving efforts across disciplines
as diverse as the physical and health sciences,
the liberal arts, and engineering. As a result,
their achievements in those fields can be
expected to steadily move South Carolina’s
economic development into the knowledge
arena while initiating meaningful changes in
society that improve our quality of life.
A Y E A R O F A C H I E V E M E N T
USC SPONSORED AWARDS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7
S P O N S O R E D A W A R D A C T I V I T Y F O R F I S C A L Y E A R 2 0 0 5
The Office of Sponsored Awards Manage-ment (SAM) is responsible for assisting the University community with externally funded research and other related initiatives. SAM’s mission is to provide a wide range of services to help faculty and staff identify and obtain funding for research and other sponsored projects from a variety of sources including government agencies, non-profit organiza-tions, and private enterprises. The office serves as the central administrator for the submission of proposals and as the overall manager of grants and contracts for USC and the USC Research Foundation.
This report provides an overview of proposals and awards handled by SAM for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2005.
Award ActivityThe University of South Carolina achieved
a record high in extramural funding to sup-
port its research, public service, and training
projects during the past fiscal year. The total
funding, $166.2 million, represents an 11
percent increase over the previous year’s
total of $149.3 million. The ten-year annual
increase of 116 percent represents a strong,
sustainable growth rate.
Proposals Submitted ......................... 1,530
Dollars Requested.................. $254,582,831
Dollars Awarded .................... $166,157,617
Total Direct Expenditures ..........$65,048,307
Total Reimbursed Indirect Costs.$17,229,291
Additional Donated Assets............. $367,200
Projects Active During Fiscal Year ....... 1,246
Faculty Receiving Awards...................... 531
Sponsors............................................. 317
Summary FY 2005 Data
10
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
$170
Funding Sources (in Millions)PrivateState/Local/OtherFederal
2005
Ten-Year Funding History
8 P O W E R F U L PA R T N E R S H I P S
A W A R D S D O L L A R S B Y S O U R C E A N D P U R P O S E
Awards Dollars by SourceThe federal government continues to provide
an increasing proportion of the overall sup-
port for sponsored projects, accounting for
83 percent of total award dollars. Federal
funding increased 14 percent from $121
million in FY 2004 to $138 million this year.
The major portion of that amount is divided
among four agencies. Health and Human Ser-
vices is the University’s single largest sponsor
(providing $53 million) with The National
Institutes of Health (providing $26 million),
the Department of Education ($13 million),
and the Department of Commerce ($12 mil-
lion) following in descending order. Support
from business and industry increased by 34
percent ($3 million) while non-profit orga-
nizations’ support decreased by 5 percent
($14 million). Funding from state and local
government agencies decreased 2 percent
from $9 million in FY 2004 to $8.9 million
in FY 2005.
Awards Dollars by PurposeAs appropriations for higher education con-
tinue to shrink, extramural funding provides
a valuable source of support to areas of the
University’s mission that extend beyond in-
struction, including research, public service,
and training. As in the past, the majority of
this year’s awards support research activi-
ties. Research awards increased 17 percent
to $111.1 million, representing 67 percent
of total sponsored program dollars. This
proportion of overall funding has remained
relatively constant over several years. Simi-
larly, funding for service ($39.7 million) and
training projects ($15.5 million) increased
and accounted for roughly the same propor-
tions of total funding as in recent years.
All Sources
Industry 2%
Non-Profit 9%
State/Local/Other 6%Federal 83%
Federal Sources
HHS (Excl. NIH)16%
DOD 5%
NIH 16%OtherFederal 18%
NSF 7%
DOE 5%
Justice 1%
Commerce 7%
Education 8%
Purpose
Research 67%
Training/Graduates Assistants 9%
Service/Equipment 24%
Service
Training
Research
USC SPONSORED AWARDS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 9
A W A R D S F O R F I S C A L Y E A R 2 0 0 5
Award Activity by CollegeDivisions experiencing significant growth
in Awards in FY 2005 were the College of
Engineering and Information Technology
(29%), School of Medicine (20%), College
of Pharmacy (18%), and Arnold School of
Public Health (9%); The College of Arts and
Sciences, School of Medicine, College of En-
gineering and Information Technology, and
Arnold School of Public Health accounted for
70 percent of total funding.
Proposal Submission by CollegeDuring the year, faculty submitted 1,530 pro-
posals requesting $254.6 million. This is an
increase of $246.3 million from the previous
year’s requested dollars. The overall trend for
the prior 10 years has been one of consistent
growth in both proposal submissions and
award dollars.
3% Education
6% Social Work
3% Senior and Regional Campuses
16% Medicine
13% Arnold School of Public Health
9% Libraries
15% Engineering
26% Arts and Sciences
9% All Others
Award Totals (in Millions)Senior & Regional Campuses $4.8Social Work $9.6Libraries $14.2Engineering $25.3Education $5.0
Arnold School $22.0Medicine $25.8All Others $15.5Arts and Sciences $44.0
Proposal Requests (in Millions)Senior and Regional Campuses $8.5Education $4.9Arts and Sciences $80.9 All Others $53.4
Engineering $34.9Arnold School $37.5Medicine $34.5
14% Medicine
15% Arnold School of Public Health
14% Engineering
21% All Others
31% Arts and Sciences
2% Education3% Senior and Regional Campuses
Proposal and Award Trends (in Millions)
0
100
150
200
250
300
75
125
175
225
275
AwardsProposals
2005200420032002200120001999199819971996
$77.1
$81.7$91.9
$97.3
$121.3
$123.0$109.2
$130.9
$149.3
$166.2
$113.7
$128.7
$153.9
$145.6
$205.9
$190.9
$175.8
$244.2
$246.3$254.6
10 P O W E R F U L PA R T N E R S H I P S
M A J O R F U N D I N G S O U R C E S , F I S C A L Y E A R 2 0 0 1 – 2 0 0 5
Five–Year Agency Trends
Source Fiscal Years 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
National Institutes of Health $12,809,669 $12,844,875 $20,378,696 $24,167,953 $26,363,107
U.S. Department of Defense $22,245,481 $9,081,977 $15,104,885 $16,515,952 $17,391,176
Health and Human Services (Excl. NIH) $16,577,397 $19,120,857 $27,633,314 $25,267,111 $26,774,085
National Science Foundation $9,212,075 $11,410,230 $11,847,156 $12,545,285 $11,553,696
U.S. Department of Education $9,896,524 $9,065,511 $9,362,411 $16,127,291 $13,162,744
State and Municipalities $16,655,788 $9,075,874 $8,739,275 $8,522,533 $8,906,519
U.S. Department of Commerce $2,194,688 $3,950,062 $8,476,268 $6,204,028 $12,224,478
Non Profit Organizations $7,775,579 $8,230,609 $6,143,961 $15,024,856 $14,343,362
U.S. Department of Energy $5,950,407 $7,714,250 $5,377,217 $5,372,130 $7,539,056
Business and Industry $4,369,668 $2,977,915 $3,630,833 $2,536,458 $3,408,075
U.S. Department of Agriculture $3,170,992 $2,141,225 $1,932,881 $2,045,086 $1,602,326
U.S. Department of Justice $2,331,242 $2,067,957 $1,855,834 $2,303,637 $1,617,188
Environmental Protection Agency $601,699 $1,097,147 $359,854 $1,415,126 $1,057,785
Five–Year Agency Trends (in Millions)
$10
$15
$20
$25
$30
National Science FoundationHealth and Human Services (Excl. NIH)
U.S. Department of Energy
U.S. Department of Education
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Defence
20052004200320022001
USC SPONSORED AWARDS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 11
M I L E S T O N E S
JUNE 2005
14 State Budget and Control Board gives USC final OK for research campusThe S.C. Budget and Control Board gave final, unanimous approval to the University of South Carolina to begin Phase 1 of the USC research campus initiative.
17 USC, Korea Institute of Energy Research sign agreement for fuel cell research collaborationThe University of South Carolina announced an agreement to collaborate with one of Korea’s most prestigious research institutes on fuel cell research.
17 USC instrumentation better able to predict coastal flooding, storm surgeCaro-COOPS technology offers useful, potentially life-saving information to beachcombers, rescuers, and Web surfers.
21 City of Columbia, USC Help Launch S.C. Next Energy InitiativeCooperative effort involves Aiken, Columbia, and Greenville in leading state’s research and economic development efforts on hydrogen, fuel cells, and other alternative sources of energy.
22 USC receives DOJ grant to conduct AMBER Alert trainingDepartment of Justice award calls for USC to conduct 25 one-day training sessions at its innova-tive Newsplex.
MAY 2005
6 Cancer researchers’ $2.5 million grant part of major NIH effort to reduce cancer among minoritiesUSC cancer research team awarded $2.5 million grant from NIH as part of $95 million national effort to reduce cancer among minorities and poor.
10 USC honors student research at Discovery DayMore than 100 undergraduates honored; top research poster award, given by Milliken & Co., presented to Kelvin Moore of Columbia.
13 USC Research Foundation Licenses Antiviral Agent to Medical Enzymes AGDiscovery from researchers in College of Pharmacy.
17 Stem cell, cloning researcher delivers Townsend Lecture at USCPublic lecture features Rudolf Jaenisch, founding member of Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass.
APRIL 2005
2 Marion County team No. 1 in FIRST RoboticsThe “Technical Terminators” from Marion County Technical Education Center take top honors in finals of FIRST Robotics Palmetto Regional com-petition. Forty-three teams of high-school students from eight states, including 22 teams from South Carolina, participate in the event.
5 USC nursing studies on domestic violence highlight nurses’ role in providing inter-vention, careEarly intervention is essential to curbing psycho-logical and physical effects of domestic violence on women and children, according to USC nursing research.
22 USC students celebrate Earth Day Event is organized by Students Allied for Greener Earth (SAGE), in cooperation with West Quad, USC’s new “green dorm” and its Learning Center, and USC’s School of the Environment.
MARCH 2005
2 Nano Ethics Conference at USC draws speakers from 10 countriesEthics of nanotechnology is subject of international conference that attracts speakers from 35 universi-ties and 10 countries.
3 USC, Intel collaboration forges “missing link” in computer engineeringA top Intel corporate executive announces USC’s Signal Integrity (SI) laboratory and program that offer graduates entrée to electronic engineering careers.
12 P O W E R F U L PA R T N E R S H I P S
M I L E S T O N E S
JANUARY 2005
8 USC hosts 2005 FIRST Robotics Kickoff More than 200 high-school students and teachers from throughout South Carolina attend 2005 FIRST Robotics Competition Kickoff.
10 Hazards expert to lead anti-terrorism research center for Department of Home-land SecurityGeographer Susan Cutter tapped by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge to co-lead U.S.-sponsored social and behavioral research center dedicated to reducing worldwide terrorism.
12 MUSC, USC to expand pharmacy program in UpstateUSC President Dr. Andrew Sorensen, MUSC President Dr. Ray Greenberg announce additional location—Greenville Hospital System—to South Carolina College of Pharmacy.
26 USC study reports $347 million economic impact from South Carolina’s public libraries
USC study reports South Carolina’s public libraries yield 350-percent return on investment, total economic impact of $347 million.
27 Super Bowl ads lead to super stock jumps, says USC finance researcherStock prices of advertisers who run multiple ads can expect a big boost, too, says a USC Moore School of Business finance professor.
3 USC researcher sheds light on African American consumer behavior African Americans who have limited access to retail goods and services in their own inner-city communities make buying decisions that are largely influenced by their political beliefs.
21 USC symposium addresses role of nano-science in state’s plastics industryPolymer Nanocomposite Symposium at Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center attracts nation’s top scientists and industry leaders in plastics.
FEBRUARY 2005
2 USC biologist’s research: Swallows offer insight into Chernobyl disasterScientists studying the Chernobyl nuclear disaster find common barn swallows in Ukraine might hold significant clues to long-term effects of low-level radiation on human health.
11 South Carolina colleges launch virtual academic libraryFaculty, students at colleges throughout state to have increased access to books and academic materials, thanks to partnership that involves more than 50 academic libraries around state.
18 USC host site for SCAS Region II Science and Engineering FairMiddle-and high-school students from nine Mid-lands counties compete for more than $30,000 in scholarships, savings bonds, and trip awards.
23 Health Sciences South Carolina first Endowed Chair Award goes to Brain Imaging CenterHealth Sciences South Carolina announces award of first endowed chair matching grant, committing $5 million toward establishment of South Carolina Brain Imaging Center of Excellence.
P O W E R F U L P A R T N E R S H I P S
Cover image: USC faculty members in art, cell and
developmental biology and anatomy, chemistry, and mechanical engineering
collaborated to create “Light Scattered by Gold Nanorods.” To make the
image, gold nanorods were embedded in a collagen gel; light was scattered
by the nanorods and made visible using a dark-field microscope. The setup
is used to model the intricate responses involved in wound healing.
Research and
To take a closer look at the research efforts of the
University of South Carolina, visit our Web site.
www.sc.edu/research/05711 University Publications 11/05