UNC Research Home
Facts & Figures
| 6th | in the US for federal research among universities. |
| $1.15 billion |
in research activity annually. |
| 12th | largest US research university in research volume & annual expenditures. |
Our Mission
Cures and treatments for disease. New technologies. New industries for North Carolina and the world. At Carolina, we tackle tough challenges with multidisciplinary teams of top scientists and students whose diverse perspectives deliver creative, unprecedented solutions. As one of America’s top research universities, we conduct roughly $1 billion in research annually. We provide dedicated service to our sponsors and unprecedented opportunities for graduate students, postdocs and undergraduates.
— Terry Magnuson, UNC Vice Chancellor for Research
Strategic Research Priorities
By fostering and supporting collaborative, interdisciplinary teams, UNC Research is accelerating new discoveries and solutions to emerging challenges in these areas:
Brain
Cancer
Data Science
Environment
Infectious Disease
Opportunity, Well-Being, and Culture
Precision Health and Society
Stories Powered by UNC Research
Improving the Lab-to-Market Pipeline at UNC
For the past 30 years, North Carolina’s abundance of research universities and the Research Triangle Park has made the state a powerhouse in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Regional participation in the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) builds upon that asset, helping bring jobs to the area and strengthening the research-to-market pipeline.
Carolina Research in the News | Earlier News Stories…
Guiding Innovations in Educational AI
Researchers from UNC, NC State, and other universities are forming a new $20 million National Science Foundation Artificial Intelligence Institute for Engaged Learning. Learn how Carolina computer scientists will create equitable educational experiences via advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
Lessons from UNC Research
As employees return to campus this month, they have a prototype for success. UNC Research developed a plan back in June 2020 to ramp up on-campus research from critical projects only — COVID-19 related, among others — to 50% capacity. Research had a banner year, breaking $1 billion in new grant awards, and the research enterprise is now fully up and running.
Celebrating Graduate Research
Diversity and Student Success, an initiative of The Graduate School, held its annual research symposium on Tuesday, which drew nearly 100 undergraduate student scholars from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to present research in order to foster a pipeline to graduate education.