The Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR) program provides funding to USC Dornsife undergraduate students for participation as a research assistant in a Dornsife faculty member’s project during the fall and/or spring semesters of the academic year. The purpose of SOAR is to connect students with faculty members and their research. It allows students to be mentored one-on-one by USC Dornsife faculty, introduces students to the process of serious scholarly inquiry early in their academic careers, and fosters valuable relationships between students and faculty. Please note that we do not fund independent student research projects, including those related to 490 courses or honors theses. Students interested in pursuing independent research should apply for PURF, the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

For students interested in summer undergraduate research funding, please visit the SURF/SHURE page.

To explore current faculty research projects, please visit the USC Handshake job and internship feed.

Click here to apply for SOAR

 

SOAR awards are administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination. Recipients are chosen without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or any other prohibited characteristic.

For Students

Click on the tabs below to learn more about SOAR.

    • The amount of funding is up to $1,000 per academic year towards non-course related (Maymesters excluded) faculty-directed research activities. No independent student research projects will be funded.
    • Although specific time commitments may vary based on the research project, students should expect to conduct research 8-10 hours per week for at least 10 weeks per semester.
    • The primary purpose of this funding is to assist the student researcher with the expenses they incur while working on their SOAR research project. The student may use the funding toward the purchase of necessary equipment and/or materials, but we cannot directly purchase equipment or compensate third parties through SOAR.
    • Students who are already receiving funding through the ExL Award, Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship (PURF), other USC research funding sources, funds from their research lab, or research-related work-study funding may not receive SOAR funds for the same time period.
    • The funding is credited to the student’s university account. This may affect student financial aid packages.  It is the student’s responsibility to contact the USC Financial Aid office (askUSC) to discuss the potential impact of a SOAR award.
    • If the student fails to complete the project successfully or fails to meet research obligations with a professor’s project and final approval is denied by the student’s faculty mentor, the SOAR award may be rescinded and charged to the student’s university account.

     All funds will be disbursed in accordance with University policies and procedures. 

  • Spring 2026 Maymester Courses

    • Dornsife FLP: Advanced Techniques in Field Mammalogy (BISC 364L)
    • Dornsife FLP: Japanese Society and Design Thinking (EASC 360)
    • Dornsife FLP: Oaxaca and Oaxacalifornia: Culture, Cuisine, and Biodiversity (SPAN 396)
    • Dornsife FLP: Language Loss and Deculturation in Cusco, Peru (SPAN 397)
    • Dornsife FLP: Human Rights in Central Asia (IR499)
    • Dornsife FLP: Aquatic Microbiology (BISC 431)
    • Dornsife FLP: Methods in Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography (BISC 457)
    • Dornsife FLP: Coastal Zone Sustainability (ENST 483)
    • Dornsife FLP: Waves of Change: Global Coastal Environmental Histories (ENST 484)
    • Dornsife FLP: Social Science Research Methods for Environmental Analysis (ENST 486)

    Visit Faculty Led Programs for additional program information.

    • Minimum 3.0 cumulative USC GPA. Freshmen and new transfer students are not eligible to apply until a USC GPA is calculated.
    • Declared major in USC Dornsife
    • Full-time enrollment at USC for the entire academic year (i.e., registered for at least 12 units each semester). Seniors with Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 enrollment are eligible to apply. Seniors with only Fall 2025 enrollment are not eligible to apply.
    • Graduate students and students with 144 units or more are not eligible to apply.
    • Must not have already received the maximum SOAR funding during the academic year for which you are applying. Up to $1,000 can be awarded per student, per academic year.
    • Students who are already receiving funding through the ExL Award, Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship (PURF), other USC research funding sources, funds from their research lab, or research-related work-study funding may not receive SOAR funds for the same time period.
    • Each student must have a Dornsife faculty mentor who meets one of the following criteria:
      1.  Tenured or Tenure-Track
      2.  Non-Tenure Track with a research profile
      3.  Professional School faculty member with a joint appointment in USC Dornsife
    Faculty not listed in the application are not eligible to serve as SOAR mentors.  

  • Fall 2025 – Thurs. August 7, 2025 to Thurs. September 11, 2025

    Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 (Students participating in the same faculty led research project for a full academic year)*– Thurs. August 7, 2025 to Thurs. September 11, 2025

    Spring 2026 / Maymester 2026 – Thurs. December 4, 2025 to Thurs. January 8, 2026

     

    * Faculty are allowed to recommend up to two students for SOAR funding per academic year (Fall 2025/Spring 2026). Faculty members who have already recommended two students for full-year funding (both fall and spring) are not eligible to recommend additional students for the Spring 2026 application period. 
    • SOAR online application: Access the SOAR application here during the application period.
    • Research proposal: You will be asked to upload to the application a one-page research proposal. This proposal should detail the research focus of your faculty mentor’s project, as well as describe what you will be contributing to the project.  Please include whether or not you have applied for other research grants or fellowships.
    • Personal Statement for Maymester Applicants: Provide a one-page personal statement responding to the following prompt: Tell us about yourself and how the Maymester course will enrich your studies and future goals. Share your achievements, experiences at USC, and interests, and tell us what you hope to gain from this course. Additionally, indicate whether you have applied for any other grants or fellowships to support this opportunity.
    • Maymester students, personal statements should include the course number, course name, and the course research objectives
    • SOAR faculty letter of recommendation: The application will generate an email to your faculty mentor so they can upload your recommendation letter directly to your application. The recommendation letter must be submitted by an eligible faculty member who is the same faculty member you will be working with for your SOAR project. Recommendation letters are not required for Maymesters; a copy of the class syllabus will be accepted in lieu of the recommendation letter.
    • For applicants wishing to conduct research with human subjects, your faculty mentor will be asked to provide IRB approval or exemption. If you do not know if the project requires IRB approval, please consult your faculty mentor.

  • At the conclusion of the semester, SOAR recipients are required to submit a one-page report with their faculty mentor’s signature. The report is a brief summary of your overall experience. If you fail to submit the SOAR report, your SOAR funding will be rescinded and you will become ineligible for SOAR and SURF/SHURE funding in future terms.  

    The SOAR report, signed by the faculty mentor of your research project, should be submitted via the instructions indicated on the award agreement.

    Click here to access the SOAR report guidelines.

     

    SOAR Report Deadlines:

    • January 15, 2026 – Report deadline for students receiving awards for Fall 2025 only
    • April 23, 2026 – Report deadline for students receiving awards for both Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 -or- Spring 2026 only
    • June 22, 2026 – Report deadline for students receiving Maymester awards

For Faculty

Due to the large number of applicants, we limit the number of SOAR grants to up to two students per faculty member and up to two students per research project, per academic year.

SOAR supports faculty-led projects. Please do not recommend independent student projects, PhD student research, or research that is not affiliated with USC. Students conducting student-driven research should consider applying for PURF, the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

If your project has been approved to involve human subjects, you will be asked to provide us with a copy of your IRB approval or extension. Faculty with IRB approval should be able to add students to their existing approval.

FAQs about IRB reviews.

It is not required to participate in the SOAR and SURF programs, however, Dornsife faculty interested in posting their research may wish to sign up as employers on USC Handshake. Please add the following sentence in the position description:

If you are a Dornsife undergraduate student, you may able to apply for SOAR, SURF, or SHURE funding from USC Dornsife if you work with an eligible Dornsife faculty mentor on their research project.  Visit https://dornsife.usc.edu/css/soar/ or https://dornsife.usc.edu/css/surf/ for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes, students are allowed to apply for multiple funding opportunities during the same period. However, you may only accept funding from one source for the same research period. Students awarded a full-academic year award in the fall are not eligible to apply for funds in the spring. 

    You must disclose your intent to apply for other funding sources in your SOAR application proposal. If you are offered and accept funding from another source before receiving a notification from SOAR, you are required to inform our office immediately. Your application for SOAR will automatically be closed if you accept funds from another source. Any offers from SOAR are also voided if you accept funds from other sources.

    Students who fail to disclose receiving multiple awards for research will have their SOAR awards rescinded, and will become ineligible for SOAR/SURF/SHURE/ExL funding in future terms. 

  • No, students may only receive research funding from one source during the same period. If you are receiving funding through a paid research laboratory position or a research-related work-study position, you are not eligible to apply for SOAR.

  • Hours are based on an agreement between the faculty mentor and the student. Most students spend at least 10 hours per week for at least 10 weeks for fall and spring and 20 hours per week for at least 8 weeks during the summer to obtain a truly meaningful research experience. SOAR and SURF are flat rate awards. We do not translate the funding into an hourly wage.

  • No. For a research project to be eligible for SOAR or SURF, you must have support from a Dornsife faculty mentor who meets one of the following criteria:

    • Tenured or Tenure-Track
    • Non-Tenure Track with a research profile
    • Professional School faculty member with a joint appointment in Dornsife

  • No. SOAR does not fund independent research projects, including those related to 490 courses or honors theses.

  • SOAR provides funds to students who have already secured a research project and a faculty mentor. You will be required to list the project and faculty mentor on your application. A letter of recommendation from that mentor is also required.

  • If you are unable to acquire a signature on your report, please attach an email approval to your report and upload through the link that was provided in your agreement.

  • The one page report doesn’t require explicit details of your research and results. Avoid including figures, data or references. We want you to share a summary of the research project and what you got out of the experience.

    Click here to access guidelines for the SOAR report.

    Please do not submit formal research reports. Refer to the guidelines and example provided.

  • SOAR reports should be uploaded through the link provided in your agreement.

  • Yes, your report must be limited to one page. You are only required to briefly describe the research. These reports often go to donors who are interested in your contribution and your overall personal experience.

  • The proposal should be single spaced.

  • No. It is your responsibility to make sure the mentor follows through with your request.

  • SOAR and SURF are only offered to Dornsife majors. If you are a Dornsife major, try clearing out your cookies or use a different browser.

  • No. All projects require IRB approval before applying for funding.

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USC Dornsife Admission and Student Success

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