One of USC’s core values is to create a greener campus and planet, commit to making sustainability important, and integrate the core values across the University. By maximizing positive behaviors, USC believes the community can support a world where all species survive and thrive.

In 2022, USC Research and Innovation introduced the $1.25M President’s Sustainability Initiative Award (PSIA) program to provide seed funding and encourage researchers to submit highly competitive applications for federal funding. Two types of grants under the PSIA program – large and small research awards – cover a broad area of research interest, ranging from Human Health and Well-Being to Natural Environment/Ecosystem Services to Risk Analysis and Economic Impacts. The goal of the grants is to provide research support to USC faculty to strengthen their grant proposal submissions and maximize the probability of attaining federal research support for USC’s proposed efforts.

The possibilities for innovation are endless. With the help of resources and programs, such as the PSIA program, research can foster discoveries that could revolutionize our current ways of thinking and living. At this rate, the research and innovation taking place at USC is constantly on a path of progression for future generations. To learn about the awardees and their innovative research, click here.