Undergraduate and graduate students at SC State collaborate with faculty members on
STEM research.
The university is among 11 South Carolina institutions participating in the statewide
SC-CAPS initiative.
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State University will help expand research opportunities and strengthen
pathways to STEM careers as part of a new $10 million initiative funded by the National
Science Foundation.
SC State is one of 11 colleges and universities participating in the South Carolina
Collaborative Academic Pathways in STEM, or SC-CAPS, a statewide initiative designed
to build research capacity and STEM workforce pathways at South Carolina's primarily
undergraduate institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
SC State will receive nearly $600,000 over the four-year grant period to support its
role in the initiative.
Dr. Brian Riley, director of SC State's Center for Energy and Environmental Solutions
(CEES), said the initiative will provide new opportunities to advance the university's
research and workforce development efforts in the College of Science, Technology,
Engineering, Mathematics and Transportation (STEM-T).
"This is an outstanding accomplishment and represents an important opportunity to
expand our CEES enterprise, strengthen research collaborations, enhance student research
and workforce development, as well as further elevate the visibility and impact of
SC State and the College of STEM-T," said Riley, who serves as SC State's co-principal
investigator for the grant.
The National Science Foundation's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
awarded the $10 million grant to the South Carolina Research Authority. Dr. Nadim
Aziz, South Carolina EPSCoR director, will serve as principal investigator and project
director.
"The SC-CAPS grant represents the culmination of several months of collaborative work
across the state," Aziz said. "Thanks to this $10 million NSF EPSCoR investment, we
will build a collaborative network among these institutions to strengthen South Carolina's
research capacity and STEM workforce pathways, and build a sustainable future in both
areas."
Along with SC State, the SC-CAPS network includes Anderson University, Coastal Carolina
University, Coker University, College of Charleston, Furman University, Lander University,
Presbyterian College, University of South Carolina Upstate, Voorhees University and
Winthrop University.
Expanding opportunities for SC State students and faculty
Through SC-CAPS, SC State students and faculty will be part of a statewide network
focused on experiential learning, student success, faculty development and institutional
research growth.
"Given the changing landscape and current challenges of being awarded research funding
from federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation, we are both very appreciative
and fortunate," Riley said. "Of course, our CEES Team has College of STEM-T students
integrated for participatory research and to gain practical experiences."
The initiative consists of three interconnected core programs:
Experiential Learning Core — Engages high school, transfer and undergraduate students across all 11 campuses to
build research skills, expand institutional research capacity and broaden participation
in STEM.
Building STEM Pathways Core — Focuses on retention, on-time graduation and career readiness through strategies including
articulation agreements, high school bridge programs, enhanced advising and peer mentoring.
Faculty and Institutional Growth Core — Supports faculty development through institutional commitments and programmatic initiatives
designed to strengthen research competitiveness and secure long-term sustainability.
SC-CAPS also will provide additional capacity-building opportunities to primarily
undergraduate institutions and HBCUs throughout South Carolina. Those opportunities
include competitive seed funding for equipment, a proposal-writing academy centered
on multi-institutional faculty collaboration, statewide best-practice workshops and
research experiences for students.
"SC-CAPS is a direct investment in the goals outlined in South Carolina's Science
and Technology Plan, particularly around growing research capacity at our PUIs and
HBCUs and building a stronger, more sustainable STEM workforce pathway for the state,"
said Tim Stemmler, chair of the South Carolina EPSCoR State Committee and vice president
for research at the Medical University of South Carolina. "This kind of statewide
collaboration is exactly how we move the plan's priorities from strategy into action.
We all benefit from leaders like Dr. Nadim Aziz, who promote collaborative initiatives
that enable the entire state; we are truly stronger and more powerful when we work
together."
