COMPETITION & DESIGN TEAMS

Viterbi-affiliated undergraduate design teams and student organizations who will be submitting a project to participate in a regional or national competition may apply for funding for the design and construction of their project.

To be considered for funding, groups must submit a Design & Construction Proposal to the Competition & Design Team Funding Committee. Funding is limited and varies from year to year.

No group, team, or project is guaranteed funding. Previously funded groups are not guaranteed funding in subsequent years. Any funding granted can only be used for the academic year in which it was awarded.

All expenses and purchase must be made by the final day of spring semester.

Design & Construction Proposals

The Competition & Design Team Funding Committee meets once each year to allocate funds for the current academic year.

Proposals must include all of the following:

  • Brief introduction of the project.
  • Description of the regional or national competition, including the location and a timetable of events.
  • Detailed description of the proposed project design and plans for construction.
  • Detailed description of chemicals, electronics, and/or equipment that will be used.
  • Estimated timeline and/or project management outline for the design and construction of the project.
  • Detailed line item budget, including estimated costs and vendor names for all parts and supplies.
  • List of all students who will be working on the project and/or attending the competition, including name, major, year in school, email address, and position in organization (if applicable) for each person.
  • Names of faculty members or others who will serve as advisors to the project.

The above list of requirements is the minimum; detailed descriptions will be looked on favorably. The Design & Construction proposal should not include any budget information for team or travel expenses.

Proposal Submission Timeline for the 2022-2023 Academic Year

Friday, September 2nd: Application Open

Friday, September 30th, 11:59pm: Application Closes

Travel

Travel expenses are not part of the Design & Construction proposal. Travel expenses include competition registration fees, hotel, airfare, vehicle rentals, mileage, etc.

Recognized student organizations should apply to university-wide funding and SOS funding to assist with covering portions of their travel costs.

Competition Report

If your organization receives funding, you must submit an final report of the competition within ten business days of the event. The report should include:

  • An executive summary of the project, including the results of the competition.
  • An expense report of all funding used (regardless of the source) and its purpose.
  • A critical evaluation of your team’s performance with thoughts for improvement.

If your organization does not submit a competition report, you will not be eligible for Competition & Design Team funding next academic year (unless cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19).

Competition reports can be submitted by email to kgiang@usc.edu.

Release of Liability Waivers

In order to access any awarded Competition & Design Team funding, each design team must submit completed Release of Liability (which will be sent to organizations following approval) for all team members, as well as a membership roster. More information is available on the Campus Activities Student Organization Resources website.

Waivers and the membership roster can be submitted by email to kgiang@usc.edu.

Published on February 3rd, 2013

Last updated on October 11th, 2022