Launching Carolinaʼs Strategic Research Roadmap

Today, I am thrilled to announce the official launch of Carolina’s Strategic Research Roadmap — a bold, actionable plan to solidify Carolina’s position as a global research leader and drive even greater impact and achievement. Developed over a year-long collaborative effort with key stakeholders from across campus, Carolina’s Strategic Research Roadmap serves as a blueprint to propel our research enterprise to even greater heights.

Why a Roadmap?

Our research enterprise has expanded tremendously over the last few decades, and we have had a steady rate of growth in awards. Yet there is more we can do to fully leverage our incredible potential for achievements and impacts. Since its inception, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) has been without a strategic plan to guide Carolina’s research enterprise. As a result, we have often operated opportunistically, which can have its benefits. Yet at the same time, without a campus-level strategy, we run the risk of not fully leveraging our incredible research potential and leaving opportunities on the table.

Strategic plans bring focus to complex organizations by setting clear goals and objectives. By creating alignment across departments and teams, we will capitalize upon shared goals and vision, allowing mutually-agreed-upon strategic priorities to take shape. The Strategic Research Roadmap we have developed is responsive to gaps and opportunities identified by key stakeholders. Together, we will work to ensure Carolina’s continued research leadership and impact.

How We Got Here

The OVCR engaged a diverse group of stakeholders across campus in a comprehensive process to develop this roadmap. During Phase 1, we gathered insights from key stakeholders including University leaders, deans of schools and research units, directors of pan-campus centers and institutes, and faculty members deeply involved in research activities. We conducted a campus-wide survey and held many stakeholder group discussions to determine how to move forward. Within the OVCR, we analyzed data from the survey and stakeholder meetings to draft the Strategic Research Roadmap, which we then vetted with our key stakeholders and University leadership to finalize.

Together, we worked to identify areas of strength, opportunities for improvement, and strategies to amplify Carolina’s research impact. In addition, we ensured that the roadmap is synergistic with current strategic efforts being led by the Chancellor, the Provost, and other vice chancellors. For example, our priorities will intersect with the four areas of focus put forward by Interim Chancellor Roberts: Enrollment, Master Plan, Applied Science, and Generative AI.

The resulting product is responsive to those needs and aspirations for Carolinaʼs research future that our stakeholders identified during the planning phase. Our thorough process has led to a strong and well-conceived plan that will benefit campus and allow us to do more impactful work that changes and saves lives in North Carolina and beyond.

Our Strategic Goals

The roadmap focuses on three strategic goals necessary to sustain and propel our growth:

1. Enhance Research Assets: Build, improve, and maintain state-of-the-art research facilities, equipment, data, and technology to enable success.
2. Promote Growth & Opportunity: Grow Carolina’s research by identifying and investing in strategic opportunities, leveraging existing research strengths, and fostering collaboration that leads to discovery and addresses challenges.
3. Maximize Value and Impact: Increase the impact of Carolina research and communicate its value.

Operational Imperatives

To support these goals, the roadmap also identifies two key operational imperatives, necessary to support the three strategic goals:

• Research Workforce: Support and grow a talented research workforce to ensure Carolina’s continued excellence in research to serve N.C. and the world.
• Research Support and Compliance: Foster an environment that facilitates efficient research processes, promotes integrity, objectivity, and quality of research outputs.

Implementation

Research touches almost all aspects of the University. Any given research project relies on partnership with many operational units across campus. For this reason, we approach implementation in a systems framework that engages key partners in research, notably, Vice Chancellors who are responsible for Finance & Operations, Innovation, and Development, as well as leaders from Carolina’s schools and colleges. Our collaborative engagement with key campus stakeholders throughout the Roadmap’s development means that we have willing campus partners who are invested in its success and who see benefits of campus alignment around strategic research goals.

As we enter Phase 2 – the implementation phase — we will begin to invite campus stakeholders to join implementation workgroups. Three implementation teams will focus on each of the three strategic goals and will include key partners from across campus, fostering a collaborative approach to ensure success. Two additional implementation teams will focus on the two operational imperatives.

Who We Are & How We Will Move Forward

As part of the process, we have updated our mission, vision, and values which are essential to guide our Strategic Research Roadmap. Guided by our values, we will be purposeful and strategic in how we engage our research community as we implement the roadmap.

At the same time, we will continue our broader goal to serve the entire Carolina community. Importantly, the OVCR manages all aspects of the University’s research activity including advocating for and promoting research across all fields of study and research areas. Any improvements we create and implement will be broadly beneficial to campus.

From our comprehensive stakeholder engagement in the strategic planning, it became clear that three guiding principles are essential in how we move forward:

• Innovate: We will accelerate our efforts to innovate and expand our portfolio of pro-innovation research.
• Transform: We will create a more agile research ecosystem, fostering greater collaboration and strategic alignment across campus.
• Renew: We will revitalize key strategic partnerships, both within and beyond North Carolina, to maximize the impact of our research and fulfill the mission of the University.

The Future is Bright

The Strategic Research Roadmap is designed to ensure that Carolina’s research will continue to make a significant impact across our state and the world.