Fall Deadline: Oct. 24, 2023, by 5 p.m. Spring Deadline: Feb. 13, 2024, by 5 p.m.
Announce Date: December 8, 2023
Grant Duration: December 2023 through December 2024
Announce Date: April 5, 2024
Grant Duration: May 2024 through May 2025
Eligibility
You must be:
- a Capstone Scholar (first or second year) or a Capstone Fellow
- in good standing with the Capstone Scholars Program
- in good academic standing with the university
- working under the guidance of a faculty, staff or community mentor.
You may not submit a proposal during the semester you are graduating.
You must be enrolled for one full semester after the award date of the grant.
Application Process
All of the following steps are required for a complete application.
You are required to view the Magellan Programs pre-application video series prior to preparing and submitting your application. An application may be declined if you have not registered for and viewed the application video series.
- Access to the pre-application video series will only be granted through completion of the registration form BELOW.
- Students who complete the pre-application video series are able to schedule an appointment with OUR staff to discuss follow-up questions.
Registration: REQUIRED; complete the pre-application video series registration form below to receive access to the videos and to ensure we have a record of your completion of this requirement.
Length: ~20 minutes total
All Magellan grant applicants must have a mentor and project to apply.
- Need a mentor? Attend one of our getting started in research workshops or contact our@sc.edu for a research advising appointment.
Things to consider and discuss:
- Review the student mentoring guide.
- Talk with your mentor about the application process.
- Set up a timeline to ensure that your mentor has time to review each of your proposal drafts.
- Discuss the writing and editing process.
- Review the tasks and goals for your project.
- The key to a successful application is how well you describe your project plan. Make sure that you understand your project in sufficient detail to explain this in language that a non-expert will understand.
Download the Magellan Programs Application [doc].
- Follow the advice/expertise from your mentor.
- Complete all sections and make note of word limits.
- Make sure you set up a timeline with your mentor for drafts and reviews.
- Ensure that your mentor reviews the final version prior to submission.
- Using the budget section of the Magellan Programs Application, work with your mentor to plan your project budget, if you are awarded.
- Carefully review the list of allowable and unallowable expenses and requirements for uses such as participant support and conference travel.
- Funds are provided by reimbursement only.
- Supplies purchased belong to USC. You do not get to keep supplies.
- software (such as SPSS, InDesign, etc.)
- plane tickets
- gas (for trips more than 20 miles)
- printing costs
- hotel room
- renting a kayak
- books not found through the USC library
- raffle items (for study participants — must be less than $50 each)
- salary ($10 per hour is the rate used for Apprentice recipients)
- conference travel (no more than 50% of your budget request)
- electronic devices (includes computers, cameras, voice recorders, etc.)
- hiring people (such as consultants)
- phones
- meals
- travel under 20 miles
- books that can be found through the USC library
- senior thesis printing costs
- any item that does not have a receipt
Note: participant incentives are typically not allowed. Contact OUR at our@sc.edu or 803-777-1141 to discuss.
Special Situations and Helpful Resources
Before You Plan Your Research...
Review the Research Abroad Guidelines Document [pdf] for:
- Important people to meet with and contact
- Research abroad requirements
- Guidelines and tips for the application
For Aiken, Beaufort, and Upstate students:
Contact us at our@sc.edu or 803-777-1141.
For Columbia and Palmetto Campus/College students:
1) Register and comply with all policies, rules, and regulations of the Education Abroad Office
ALL students traveling abroad for research, volunteer, internships or study must register
with the Education Abroad Office.
2) Follow Education Abroad Non-Credit Programs Instructions
This is required for ALL research, internship, volunteer, and non-credit study abroad activities.
Students must also comply with University Travel policies and procedures.
If You Are Not Sure If You Need to Register:
Check with the Education Abroad Office at edabroad@sc.edu or 803-777-7557. Be safe, not sorry!
If the project involves vertebrate animals, it must have approval through the Animal Care and Use Committee and the student must have appropriate training. If the project already has approval, the student must be added. Contact the Department of Animal Resources, 803-777-8106, iacuc@mailbox.sc.edu. For USC Aiken, contact the Sponsored Research Office.
If the project involves humans (including but not limited to interviews, surveys or review of personal/private information), mentors must review the Student Research guide. Based on this guidance from the Office of Research Compliance, most student driven projects will not require further review. Faculty oversight and student training through the CITI Human Subjects modules are required. Some projects may also require use of the Undergraduate Research Consent Form. A template is available on the Student Research page. If a student is "engaged in the research" on a mentor's project requiring IRB oversight (new or approved protocol), the student must be added. Contact the Office of Research Compliance (803-777-7095) with questions.
Use this guide to help develop your project plan and understand your responsibilities for the project.
Students should submit one application for a small group working on the same project.
Maximum Award Funding for Group Projects: Up to $1,000 per student, with a maximum of $2,000 per project.
- The primary mentor and any secondary mentors (such as graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, additional faculty mentors, community partners, etc) must each complete the appropriate form.
- The collaboration forms are sent to our@sc.edu directly by the mentor(s).
NOTE these forms are updated regularly, please be sure to use the most recent versions.
Primary Mentor Collaboration Form [doc]
The mentor's role on the project and the plan for student training and skill building
- Role of secondary mentor(s) on the project and how the mentor(s) will work with and train the student
- Include as many secondary mentor forms as needed
The online application form must be submitted with your Magellan Programs Application attached by the submission deadline.
Group applications: submit one form — alphabetically by last name.
Select "Magellan Apprentice" from the menu. Under "Magellan Programs Application," upload your PDF or Word document.
NOTE for all applicants: If anything on this form changes (such as title) after submission, contact our@sc.edu with the new information and we will update or delete the form for you.