COVID-19 Research Accelerator Fund
UNC’s researchers, scientists, and staff are fervently working to find solutions to the novel coronavirus crisis. To speed the efforts underway and support Carolina’s existing and evolving COVID-19 research, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research has partnered with the University Development Office to launch the UNC COVID-19 Research Accelerator Fund, which provides critical, unrestricted support to Carolina’s world-renowned research teams. The new fund will eliminate roadblocks and cut through barriers to deliver the resources needed to mitigate this pandemic and prepare us for the next one.
New OSR research tools from Operational Excellence
During a February Town Hall, the Office of Sponsored Research (OSR) introduced their collaboration with the Operational Excellence team and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research on efforts to streamline the management of externally sponsored research programs at the university. Several research-focused initiatives are underway, including an engagement partnership to inform communications for research administration and a research playbook to provide guidance on proposal management.
The intent of the engagement partnership is to add structure to interactions between central research offices, such as OSR and the Sponsored Programs Office, and school or unit research administrators. The research playbook for proposals will guide administrators through the pre-award process for federal, nonclinical industry, and nonprofit awards.
UNC cancels Elsevier subscription
Despite more than a year of sustained negotiations, the publisher Elsevier has failed to provide an affordable path for UNC to renew its bundled package of approximately 2,000 e-journal titles. As a result, this package expired on April 30. Moving forward, University Libraries will subscribe to a much smaller set of individual Elsevier titles.
Save the date: University Research Week 2020
University Research Week 2020 will be the week of November 9–13. Planned events include a showcase of UNC researchers sharing how they are battling COVID-19 and a keynote featuring researchers from across several disciplines sharing how their innovative work at UNC positively impacts the state of North Carolina. If your department would like to host an event during University Research Week, please email Layla Dowdy. A list of last yearʼs URW events can be found here.