Currently Closed – 2017 Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program

SC EPSCoR Solicitation Number 2-2017
Deadline Friday, April 14, 2017

2017 REU Program Award Recipients Announcement

The SC EPSCoR Program aims to increase undergraduate research participation in ongoing research during the academic year and/or the summer. Research experiences can be in the areas of life science (including biomedical science), physical science, engineering, and mathematics. Research experiences can take place at the student's home institution, another institution, research institute, or research laboratory in South Carolina. Providing these experiences to undergraduate students is a critical component in increasing the number of undergraduate students pursuing graduate degrees and careers in STEM fields.

The South Carolina Science and Technology Plan states “Growth of a health, science, and technology workforce requires an educated and engaged public that participates in the South Carolina research enterprise. With over a 30% minority population that is underrepresented in STEM fields, it is critical to encourage and promote their training and advancement.” In order to broaden participation, proposers are encouraged to recruit students from diverse backgrounds including those from groups that are underrepresented in the STEM fields.

The funding for the REU program is intended to support student stipends, materials and supplies, and travel support for undergraduate students.

Project description should include an implementation and management plan that addresses the following:

  • Description of the research project students will be working with (e.g., significance of research; research area; overarching research framework, hypothesis, research questions, etc.)
  • Start and end dates of the research experience
  • Location where the project will take place
  • Student recruitment and selection process. Students must be selected from a South Carolina college or university.
  • Duties and activities of the students in the research project
  • Listing of the research mentors, their qualifications, and experience in undergraduate research and mentoring undergraduates
  • Student mentoring plan
  • Plan to evaluate the success of the research and the student's experience and perspectives
  • Opportunities for students to present their research results and experiences (e.g. presentations, publications, research papers).

REU Program Deliverables

  • Students who receive stipends from this REU program will be required to attend the 2018 SC EPSCoR State Conference.
  • Students will be required to present their research results and experiences at the 2018 SC EPSCoR State Conference.
  • All publications (e.g. research publications, press releases, other publications or documents about research that is funded by SC EPSCoR Program) and presentations resulting from the REU program must include an acknowledgment of SC EPSCoR Programsupport and a disclaimer. "Research reported in this [publication, press release, presentation] was supported by the SC EPSCoR Program under award number (specific SC EPSCoR grant number). The views, perspective, and content do not necessarily represent the official views of the SC EPSCoR Program."

Proposal Guidelines

The SC EPSCoR Program requires:

  • adherence to program objectives as described in this solicitation.
  • proposals be prepared with 1" margins and a font size no smaller than 11pt.
  • authorized organizational representative signature on both the Cover Sheet and Budget Page.
  • principal investigator to be held accountable for all scientific and programmatic responsibilities, including required reporting (see Award and Reporting Requirements).
  • authorized organizational representative identified on the Cover Sheet to be held responsible for all fiscal obligations.

All proposals must be assembled in the following sequence:

  • Cover Sheet for proposal to the SC EPSCoR Program (Appendix A).
  • Project Description must include the proposal requirements as stated above under the REU Program Information and Proposal Guidelines. The Project Description should not exceed ten (10) pages.
  • Budget Page for the project (Appendix B); total direct costs not to exceed $10,000. See Budget section below for specific instructions.
  • Budget Justification of estimated costs. Include support requested or available from other sources, including institutional, local, and federal agencies (maximum one page).
  • Biographical Sketches of Principal Investigator and other senior personnel involved in project (maximum two pages per individual; NSF or NIH format).
  • Current and Pending Support of Principal Investigator and other senior personnel involved in project including title of project, sponsoring agency, period of support, amount, and percent effort for each investigator (Appendix C).proposals be prepared with 1" margins and a font size no smaller than 11pt.

Budget Information

  • The total budget requested may not exceed $10,000 per proposal. The REU program is a cost-reimbursement program and the SC EPSCoR Program will reimburse paid expenses NOT incurred expenses.
  • Travel costs for students to travel to the 2018 SC EPSCoR State Conference should be included in the budget and budget justification.
  • Awardees should ensure that costs claimed under SC EPSCoR Program grants are allowable, allocable, and reasonable.
  • Cost-share is encouraged but not required. Any matching contributions from other sources should be listed in the budget and described in the budget explanation.
  • Indirect costs are not allowed under this solicitation; however, they may be used to show a non-federal cost-share commitment.

Submission Instructions

Proposals will be accepted during the prescribed proposal dates outlined in the Proposal Due Date section. Award periods of performance may vary, but should not exceed twelve (12) months. The signed Cover Sheet, Budget Page, and Current and Pending Support must be received before the proposal can be reviewed.

Complete proposals must be submitted via email or mail to the SC EPSCoR Program office:

SC EPSCoR Program
Attention: April Heyward, MRA
1000 Catawba Street
Columbia, South Carolina 29201


Proposal Selection

All proposals that meet the eligibility requirements and guidelines will be evaluated based upon the extent to which they meet specific criteria including:

  • Significance, technical merit, and potential impact of the research;
  • Potential for broader impacts and the increase of diversity;
  • Number of students impacted;
  • Reasonableness of budget request and explanation.

Proposals will undergo internal and external review after the close of the proposal submission deadline. Reviews will be provided to the Principal Investigator excluding the identity of the reviewer.


Award and Reporting Requirements

  • Principal Investigators will receive notice of REU award/declination via e-mail.
  • Award recipients are required to provide the SC EPSCoR state office with project data for evaluation and reporting purposes. Accordingly, the Principal Investigator must submit a comprehensive REU Final Report and final invoice for reimbursement no later than sixty (60) days after the expiration of their award.
  • Progress reports for research experiences for undergraduate students should include student demographic information, 1-page PDF report from student researcher on the research experience, student researcher plans to pursue graduate school in STEM, and evidence and plans to communicate research results.
  • For a period of time after the expiration of the award, SC EPSCoR Program may continue to contact the Principal Investigator for outcome related data.