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Welcome to SCera

Welcome to SCera Version 1.3, USC's portal to electronic research administration services and information. This portal was launched to assist researchers and research administration staff members with various aspects of managing sponsored projects. For technical support please call the AIS Helpdesk at (213)740-5857 or Click Here to contact us via email.

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Links to Research Administration Offices

Office of the Vice Provost for Research Advancement - invests in research initiatives, promotes USC research among sponsors, and provides services that ensure that USC achieves the highest ethical standards in its research.
Department of Contracts & Grants - responsible for reviewing and approving all proposals submitted to external sponsors for research and educational activities.

Disbursement Control & Accounts Payable - responsible for disbursement of all non-payroll checks and assuring their compliance.
Equipment Management - responsible for maintaining inventory records of all University-owned, Government-owned, donated, and other Sponsor-owned equipment.
Faculty Portal - website for faculty-specific personnel issues, business and news.
(IACUC) Department of Animal Resources - The University of Southern California Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee(IACUC) oversees USC's animal programs, animal facilities, and policies ensuring appropriate care, ethical use and humane treatment of animals.
Office for the Protection of Research Subjects - protection of Research Subjects.
Office of Compliance - support compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, detect and correct compliance violations promptly and eliminate misconduct and other wrongdoing.
Office of Financial Analysis - responsible for effort certification, financial reporting and analyses in support of business and financial issues for short and long-term planning, provides internal financial consulting services and advice on financial issues, financial and business research, project management, planning and scheduling, financial and business research policy development and implementation.
Office of Technology Licensing - assists in technology licensing and commercialization for the University, including licensing USC technologies to startup companies.
University Payroll Services - general information website concerning payroll matters, does not supersede any USC Policies or Procedures, nor any governmental rules or regulations. Includes FAQ'S and who to contact.
Purchasing Services - negotiates best-value contracts, selects responsive and qualified suppliers, facilitates prompt payment and delivery, assures compliance to USC and sponsored-project policies and procedures.
Space Management - responsible for auditing and inventorying all university space, including identification of room usage, etc.
Sponsored Projects Accounting - oversees post award administration of sponsored research for the university.
Surplus Sales - reselling and proper-disposal of used, excess, or obsolete items to which the university has title.
Travel Management and Corporate Card Services - provides USC travel community with up-to-date information and useful tools.
WEBBA - account balance, statements, transactions, etc.

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News and Events

Get the latest USC news from the USC Chronicle. USC Chronicle features articles about research and other activities on campus.

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NPR Research News

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Big Bang Atom Smasher Sends Beams In 2 Directions
The world's largest atom smasher made another leap forward Monday by circulating beams of protons in opposite directions at the same time in the $10 billion machine after more than a year of repairs, organizers said.
Listeners Reject, Accept New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
Tell Me More host Michel Martin and Lee Hill, the program's "digital media guy," comb through listener feedback and offer important news updates to recent conversations heard on the program. This week, the audience shares personal stories in reaction to controversial new guidelines issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a component of the Department of Health and Human Services. The agency says suggests women can now wait an additional 10 years before getting an annual mammogram.
Fungus Provides Clues To North American Extinctions
One of the great mysteries about North America is what killed off woolly mammoths and other exotic animals that roamed the land after the last ice age. Ideas have ranged from a comet impact and climate change to human hunters. A study published Friday in Science Magazine provides new clues about this — cleverly deduced from samples of a fungus that grew on the animal's dung.
Sounds During Sleep May Help You Remember
Certain sounds played while people napped helped them remember information associated with those sounds once they woke up, say researchers at Northwestern University.
Reef Conservation Strategy Backfires
Conservationists worried about overfishing on the Pacific island of Kiribati persuaded fishermen to pick coconuts instead. The strategy backfired: Coconut oil production increased, but so did fishing. It turns out, fishermen who earned more money in coconut agriculture had more leisure time — which they spent fishing.
Ancient Egyptians Suffered From Hardened Arteries
X-ray scans of the arteries of Egyptian mummies show that hardening of the arteries wasn't uncommon among the upper classes in ancient times.
New Guidelines On Breast Cancer Stir Confusion
For years, health care organizations have worked to send a consistent message to women about breast cancer. But new guidelines issued by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, a component of the Department of Health and Human Services, have stirred confusion. The agency suggests women can now wait an additional 10 years before getting an annual mammogram — at age 50 instead of age 40 — and that some women ages 50-74 can even skip a year between exams. Dr. Diana Petitti, who leads the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, and Dr. Wayne Frederick, an oncologist at Howard University discuss the new guidelines. Frederick shares his concern about how the changes may affect black women, who are at higher risk of breast cancer between 40 and 50 years old.
Panel: Mammograms Should Start At 50, Not 40
A panel of experts says mammograms are causing women being screened for breast cancer to have too many false alarms and unneeded biopsies. The panel is recommending that women wait until 50 to get mammograms and then only every two years. The American Cancer Society says it stands by its recommendations of regular mammograms beginning at age 40.
Doctor Backs New Breast Cancer Guidelines
New guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force say women would get almost as much benefit out of having mammograms every two years after they turn 50 as having a mammogram once a year starting at age 40. Dr. Jeffrey Tice, general internist and assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, says the benefits of early screening for women between 40 and 49 are small. He says early testing for these women often results in more false positives , more procedures and more anxiety.
The Dirt On Dust
Where does all that dust under your couch come from? It turns out that most household dust comes from outside — and may contain some pretty harmful stuff. How the toxins in dust get into your body depends on the size of the dust particle.
Study Raises New Questions About Cholesterol Drug
A new study raises fresh concerns about Zetia and its cousin, Vytorin — drugs still taken by millions of Americans to lower cholesterol, despite questions raised last year about how well they work.
Do Moon Craters Harbor Caches Of Water Ice?
A NASA rocket slammed into a lunar crater in October. A second spacecraft followed minutes later, taking inventory of kicked-up debris and sending data to Earth. Scientists have now analyzed those data, which may reveal whether the moon harbors significant quantities of water ice.
The Gut Response To What We Eat
A new study of human gut microbes put into mice has found that when mice eat a high-fat, high-sugar diet, abrupt changes result in the population of microbes. Scientists believe this research could open a new window into interactions between our gut bacteria, diet, and weight gain.
Success Boosting Monkey Muscle Could Help Humans
Researchers have successfully used gene therapy to increase monkeys' muscle strength. The team hopes to use the same treatment to help people with muscle-wasting diseases grow back their muscle strength.
BPA At Work Raised Risk Of Impotence, Sexual Problems
Men exposed to high levels of BPA on the job had a much greater chance of sexual problems than men who weren't, a study of Chinese factory workers found.