SPARC Application Guidelines (pdf)
This guidelines document provides detailed information to guide SPARC applicants through the application process. It includes details on application requirements, proposal development and more.
The Fall 2022 SPARC application cycle is closed.
Please check back in Fall 2023 for the next deadline, updated guidelines, and application video.
Program Overview
Sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Support to Promote Advancement of Research and Creativity, or SPARC, Graduate Research Grant is a merit-based award designed to ignite research and creative excellence across all disciplines at USC. The overall objective of the SPARC Graduate Research Grant is to provide support and to encourage outstanding students to pursue exciting research directions during their graduate career at the University of South Carolina. To achieve this end, the SPARC program provides the opportunity for eligible graduate students to secure funding up to $5,000 to support their research, creative or other meritorious scholarly project. SPARC funds can be used to pay for salary, supplies and other costs essential to completing and promoting funded projects.
The application process requires a competitively written grant describing the proposed research, scholarship, or creative project. The experience students acquire through this process is invaluable by providing training in grant proposal development and helping SPARC applicants build the skills and background necessary to make them more competitive in seeking national fellowship awards from federal and private funding sources.
SPARC Forms & Guidelines
Below are downloadable forms eligible students need for completing the SPARC proposal package, as well as guideline documents detailing the SPARC application process for students and to assist faculty advisors in their role in the SPARC program.
SPARC Faculty Guidelines (pdf)
This document provides guidance on the letter of recommendation, a list of required application documents, and a guide to submitting the final SPARC application package via USCeRA.
SPARC Budget Form (docx)
Use this form to document and justify the budget details for your SPARC proposal.
SPARC Current & Pending Support Form (docx)
Use this form to disclose other current or pending support you have secured, or for which you have applied, to support this project.
SPARC Authorship & GPA Certification Form (docx)
The applicant and faculty advisor must sign and submit this form with the SPARC application package, to confirm that the graduate student applicant was the primary author of the proposal.
SPARC Review Criteria (pdf)
This document provides a summary of the review criteria that reviewers use to evaluate SPARC proposals.
2022-2023 SPARC Terms and Conditions (pdf)
This document details SPARC post-award requirements and information for the current funding cycle.