Two Fully Funded PhD Positions in HUGO Lab at the University of South Carolina, Columbia

About the positions

The HUGO Lab at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, is recruiting two PhD students for Fall 2027 to work on Human Factors and Human-AI Interaction research. The lab works across Human-AI Interaction, Human-Machine Interaction, Human-Robot Interaction, Human Factors and Ergonomics, Industrial Safety, Vehicle Ergonomics, Human Variability, Digital Twin Systems and Human-Centered Design — so the positions suit applicants whose background sits at the intersection of engineering, computer science, psychology or design, and who want to work on how people and intelligent systems work together.

The funding is genuinely fully funded: a full tuition waiver, a monthly living stipend and guaranteed funding for the first two years, with continued funding subject to satisfactory performance. What is missing is the number: no source publishes the stipend amount, so this article does not state one. The other thing to know is that these positions are filled by the lab itself — you apply by emailing the lab director, and only shortlisted candidates are contacted for interview. There is no university application portal for them.

Eligibility

• Open to applicants of all nationalities.
• International applicants need TOEFL iBT 80+ or IELTS 6.5+.
• A background suited to the lab’s research areas: Human-AI Interaction, Human-Machine Interaction, Human-Robot Interaction, Human Factors and Ergonomics, Industrial Safety, Vehicle Ergonomics, Human Variability, Digital Twin Systems, Human-Centered Design.
• Applying for a PhD starting Fall 2027 — the Spring 2027 deadlines have already passed.
• Note: there is no official sc.edu HUGO Lab page for these positions; the facts here rest on two aggregator sources that agree exactly on the dates and terms.

Benefits

• Full tuition waiver.
• Monthly living stipend — the amount is not published in any source.
• Guaranteed funding for the first two years, with continued funding subject to satisfactory performance.
• PhD research in the HUGO Lab at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, across Human Factors and Human-AI Interaction topics.

Documents to prepare

• A one-page cover letter.
• Your CV.
• A one-page statement of research interests.
• Official academic transcripts.
• Three letters of recommendation.
• A personal statement.
• English-proficiency evidence (TOEFL iBT 80+ or IELTS 6.5+) if you are an international applicant.

How to apply

1. Prepare the documents listed above — cover letter, CV, statement of research interests, transcripts, three recommendation letters and personal statement.
2. Email your documents to Dr. Jangwoon Park at Jangwoon.park@sc.edu.
3. Apply for the Fall 2027 intake: 1 May 2027 for international applicants, 15 May 2027 for domestic applicants.
4. Wait to hear back — only shortlisted candidates are contacted for interview.

FAQs

Verified 27 Oct 2026 (light re-confirm of batch 57 spare verification): scholarshipunion.com/hugo-lab-phd-scholarship/ and edu.mspro.site/fully-funded-phd-positions-in-hugo/ agree exactly — Fall 2027 deadlines 1 May 2027 (international) / 15 May 2027 (domestic); fully funded (full tuition waiver, monthly living stipend, guaranteed funding first two years, continued funding subject to satisfactory performance); stipend amount not published in any source; all nationalities; TOEFL iBT 80+ or IELTS 6.5+ for international applicants; apply by email to Dr. Jangwoon Park at Jangwoon.park@sc.edu; documents: one-page cover letter, CV, one-page statement of research interests, official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, personal statement; only shortlisted candidates contacted for interview. CONFLICTS: the edu.mspro.site page contains generic filler about a "December deadline" / "Fall 2026 window" in its prose, but its deadline table matches Scholarship Union exactly — only the table dates are used. No official sc.edu HUGO Lab page found (same as batch 57). Spring 2027 deadlines (1 Oct / 15 Oct 2026) have passed.