Stimulus Research Program
Frequently Asked Questions

Stimulus Research Program

What are the CRUs?
CRU stands for Comprehensive Research University. There are three Comprehensive Research Universities in the State: Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the University of South Carolina Columbia.

What are the PUIs?
PUIs stands for Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions. There are 10 public and 22 private PUIs in the State. The Commission on Higher Education has a complete listing of colleges and universities in South Carolina.

What are HBCUs?
HBCUs are Historically Black Colleges and Universities. All HBCUs in South Carolina are Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs).

When you say the proposal must include 2 CRUs and 2 PUIs, including HBCUs - does this mean we must have an HBCU in addition to two other PUIs?
No. If an HBCU is part of the team, then it counts as a PUI.

Can we include colleges or universities from outside South Carolina?
This is a program to increase South Carolina’s research capabilities. While collaborating with entities outside the State is not prohibited, focus should remain on the objectives of this program as stated in the solicitation. Further, funds from the SC EPSCoR Stimulus Research Program must be allocated to South Carolina institutions only.

What is the Collaborators table used for?
The table provides a quick summary of those involved in the project. It should contain the listing of the faculty who will participate in the execution of the research being proposed. It should include the PI, the Co-PIs and other senior personnel who will be involved in the proposed project.

How many faculty members can we include on the proposal?
There is no limit to how many faculty members you can include.

What do you mean by “advanced” graduate students?
“Advanced” is used here as opposed to “entry” level graduate students. Since the funding is limited to two years, it is advisable to utilize graduate students who are in the research productive phase of their doctorate.

Is NSF the only federal agency we should target for large-scale funding opportunities?
No.

Is the lead PI role limited to faculty members from CRUs?
No. A faculty member from any South Carolina college or university can serve as the lead PI.

Can we include faculty from more than two PUIs or more than two CRUs?
Yes. The criterion of two CRUs and two PUIs is the minimum requirement.

Is there a limit on the number of faculty from a college/university that can be included on the proposal?
No. You should assemble the strongest team possible.

What is the purpose of the Letter of Intent?
Since proposals will be reviewed by experts from outside South Carolina, we need to gage the diversity of topics being proposed to plan for a relevant panel of experts for the review process. The Letters of Intent will assist us in sizing the proposal pool.

Is it a requirement that each institution receive the same funding amount?
No. The team should develop the budget that best reflects the proposed work and what can make the effort successful.

The Solicitation states that “Each award will be made to the Lead Principal Investigator’s Institution.” How do we make that work?
The SC EPSCoR Office will issue the award to the lead PI’s institution. Lead PI’s should work with their institution’s research office to determine how the sub-contracts/awards will be made to the other institutions that are part of the team.

We plan to hire a post-doc to work on the research, if awarded. Will there be enough time to recruit and hire a post-doc after the decision on the awards is made and the actual start date of the project?
We plan to make decisions on awards as soon as the review panel makes a recommendation. We expect this to be done during the October/November timeframe. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect and plan for a project start date of January 2018.

The Solicitation indicates that we should attend the 2018 State Conference to present progress on the project. Since the State Conference typically takes place in the Spring Semester, just a few months after the award is made, what do you expect to be presented at this early stage?
Clearly, there may be very little research results to present. However, the conference presentation should be viewed as an opportunity for the team to present their project highlights and the progress on building the collaborative and inclusive team, as well as any preliminary results they may have.

NEW! Are USC Beaufort, USC Aiken and other USC satellite campuses considered PUIs?
Yes. USC Columbia is a Comprehensive Research University, but the USC satellite campuses are PUIs.

NEW! Can I serve as the Lead PI on one SRP proposal and be a Co-PI on another SRP proposal?
No. Page 1 of the solicitation under 'Who May Apply" section states "A Principal Investigator can only serve on one proposal."

NEW! Can I serve as a Consultant on a SRP proposal and serve as the Lead PI on another SRP proposal?
No. Page 1 of the solicitation under "Who May Apply" section states "A Principal Investigator can only serve on one proposal."