USC’s board of trustees approved a new STEM Innovation and Research center during a meeting on Dec. 17. The project is a part of the USC Next Masterplan.
The five-story building will be located on the corner of Greene and Main streets, according to University Architect Derek Gruner. The space is occupied by a parking lot for faculty and staff of the Science and Technology building.
The upper three floors will be dedicated to research. USC needs the additional space for its expanding research programs, Vice President for Research at USC Julius Fridriksson, said.
"Our research, just overall, is growing very fast,” Fridriksson said. “Our funding last year was up, what, $309 million last year. Most of that is for research. It happens here on campus, because it's growing, we just need to have more space to do that research.”
Although the specifics of what research will be conducted in the center are not yet available, Fridriksson said it is "very likely" researchers will use the building for coastal erosion and flood mitigation research.
"We have major coastal erosion, which is a problem,” Fridriksson said. “We also ... know that every time there's a flood in South Carolina, it causes all types of trouble. So, we want to solve those problems in that building.”
Research in the center will be interdisciplinary, bringing together students from multiple fields to solve problems, Fridriksson said.
The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Joel Samuels, said he is excited about the opportunities for students.
“I think this space will provide an opportunity for more interdisciplinary and collaborative research, which is really a future of research, which is answering important questions, not from a single disciplinary background, but looking across disciplines," Fridriksson said. "And I think that is exciting both in terms of the impact of the work that will be done there and in terms of opportunities for students.”
Students in biology, chemistry and other natural sciences will likely see the greatest benefits from the center, Samuels said.
But students in non-STEM fields may also find opportunities. The building's design and the ethical considerations of the research are two examples of non-STEM involvement in the center, Fridricksson said.
The lower two floors will host a space focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, according to a press release by University Spokesperson Collyn Taylor.
Students will be able to work on research with companies that partner with the university in the space, Fridriksson said. He said the innovation space will provide a valuable, hands-on experience for students in STEM fields.
“For example, if you're in engineering, you're already doing something on campus that," Fridriksson said. "When you take your first job, you've done it. If you go into a high tech company that does some of the same stuff, you already have that experience.”
The innovation space will feature a common area and labs visible to the street, according to Gruner.
Gruner's plan shows a plaza with a cafe and gathering space in between the new center and Science and Technology building. The roof or fifth floor may host a greenhouse that can be utilized for research.
Across Greene Street from the center is the site of the proposed new university bookstore, according to Gruner.
Gruner requested $1.5 million in institutional funds for phase one of the project. The board of trustees approved the funding.
"The budget for the actual project will be approved whenever Phase I is done and it goes back to the board for approval," Taylor said in a statement.
No date has been announced for the beginning of construction or the opening of the center.
Fridricksson said he is confident the center and additional projects will generate benefits for more than just the university and its students.
“The universities create economic growth, and I think that as we increase our research effort with things like the STEM building, with the new house sciences campus building, the new hospital that we're thinking about building, these things will be a catalyst for both our students to get better training opportunities but also just for economic growth for the area,” Fridriksson said. “The sky's the limit for this stuff.”