Administrative Updates
Leadership transition at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute
By Carleigh Gabryel, March 13, 2024
This is a message from Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen.
Dear Colleagues,
Today I am sharing the news that Stephen Hursting will be stepping down as director of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis, NC, effective April 1, 2024. On that date, Deborah Tate will assume interim directorship of the institute.
Tate holds a faculty appointment at NRI, is a professor in the nutrition department, is co-principal investigator of the NIH’s Nutrition for Precision Health UNC Clinical Center (co-located in Chapel Hill and at the NRI), and directs the Communication for Health Applications and Interventions Core. She is an internationally recognized behavioral scientist who studies precision nutrition, obesity, diabetes prevention, and digital health interventions.
Hursting will remain a faculty member in the joint Department of Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and School of Medicine, leading his lab in Chapel Hil making advances in research on the mechanisms of certain cancers. His research is making significant advances in understanding the effects of obesity on cancer as they are strengthening work in precision nutrition.
The NRI acts as a significant economic catalyst for Kannapolis. Its presence on the North Carolina Research Campus fosters job creation, with estimates suggesting close to 1,000 positions stemming from campus activity. This has demonstrably revitalized Kannapolis’s economy following a period of industrial decline. As a global leader in precision nutrition research, NRI investigators study the role of nutrients in preventing disease, diet-related health behaviors, risk factors for disease, the effect of the environment and genes on disease outcomes, and the impact of gene-nutrient interactions.
The mission of the NRI is of critical value to the University and to our state. It provides invaluable community engagement, conducts field-leading research, and contributes to the economic development of the region. As such, I would like to thank Steve for his leadership over the last three years, and I look forward to working with Deb through this transition.
Permalink: Leadership transition at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute
Earlier:
By Carleigh Gabryel, February 12, 2024
This is a message from OVCR Research Science and Security, Office of Sponsored Programs, and School of Medicine’s Sponsored Programs Office.
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently released new requirements to all federal agencies governing Current and Pending (Other Support) and Biosketch documents (also known as Common Forms). The agencies were tasked with incorporating these new requirements into their processes and announcing agency-wide implementation dates.
Key Highlights of the New Federal Requirements:
- New requirements apply to all senior/key personnel
- Continues the heavy focus on international activities/affiliations
- Standardizes the requirements for both Current and Pending (Other) Support and Biosketch documents across all agencies with minimal exceptions
- Consulting activities now count towards “conflict of commitment” and have three new definitions that will need to be applied to determine if an activity should be disclosed
- Prohibits senior/key personnel from participating in malign foreign talent programs
- Better defines In-Kind resources
- Both documents will require senior/key personnel certification
Training:
A pan-campus working group is currently developing training materials related to the new requirements, which will be available to all faculty and staff across campus. The training, once ready, will be hosted on the Office of Sponsored Programs website.
Agency Implementation Dates:
To date, only two federal agencies have released implementation dates, with two more acknowledging that they will incorporate the new requirements into their policies and procedures at some point in the future. Details below.
- National Science Foundation: NSF will implement the new requirements for all proposals submitted or due on, or after, May 20, 2024. SciENcv, a research profile system, will play an integral role.
- National Institutes of Health: NIH will implement the new requirements in January 2025 using the standard templates released with the requirements. They will then transition to SciENcv, to align with NSF, in May 2025.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration: NASA has announced they will incorporate the new requirements into their Grants Policy Manual but does not have an implementation date set yet.
- Department of Energy: DOE has announced that they are currently negotiating with OSTP to implement the new requirements. We believe this is because they want to make changes to the requirements in order to meet legislative/appropriation requirements. They do not have an implementation date set yet.
As more information is received, and training materials becomes available, we will provide another update. Additional information can also be found on the NSF website at https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/nstc_disclosure.jsp.
Should you have any immediate questions, please feel free to reach out to Brian Collier, Director of Research Science and Security at bcollier@email.unc.edu.
Permalink: New Federal Current and Pending (Other) Support and Biosketch Requirements Coming Soon
By Carleigh Gabryel, February 9, 2024
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Generative AI Committee, which is comprised of representatives from every academic unit, has released guidance on how to responsibly and ethically use tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. A subcommittee led by Eric Everett, director of research integrity, ethics, and education within OVCR, has crafted specific recommendations for the research community.
This guidance applies to faculty, staff (SHRA and EHRA non-faculty), students (undergraduate, graduate and professional), guest researchers (e.g., unpaid volunteers, interns, and visiting scholars), collaborators, and consultants involved in research occurring under the auspices of the University.
The guidance covers information on the following:
- The limitations and risks of using generative AI in research
- Principles on which to base the usage of the technology
- Frequently asked questions and resources for citation
“Please review this guidance and integrate it into your research and scholarly practices, tailoring it as necessary to suit your specific discipline and accepted research and scholarly practices within your discipline,” says Everett. “Mentors and supervisors should have regular conversations with mentees and other research trainees about the intended use of generative AI in their research programs.”
Given the rapid pace of advancements in generative AI, Everett anticipates this guidance to continue to evolve. If you have any questions or feedback, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Permalink: Inside UNC Research: Generative AI in research
By Carleigh Gabryel, February 8, 2024
This is a message from Vice Chancellor for Research Penny Gordon-Larsen.
Today I am sharing the news that Steve Marshall will be stepping down as director of the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC), effective March 1, 2024. After more than a decade at the helm of IPRC, he will be returning to his faculty position in the Department of Epidemiology within the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and will continue his research activities with the center.
Beth Moracco, IPRC’s current associate director, will serve as the center’s interim director beginning March 1. Between February 12 and March 1, Marshall and Moracco will work together to efficiently transition leadership of the center.
For more than 30 years, researchers at IPRC have addressed vital societal issues including domestic abuse, car crashes, traumatic brain injury, home and workplace safety, and opioid overdose — and have worked closely with practitioners to change policies and save lives.
Under Marshall’s leadership, IPRC expanded in size and increased its impact while maintaining continuous funding as a CDC Injury Control Research Center. Additionally, he oversaw hundreds of research projects that have improved the lives of people in our state and beyond. We are grateful for his years of service, talent, and dedication to the field of injury and violence prevention.
Moracco has served as associate director of IPRC since 2017 and brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education leadership to her new role. She is also an associate professor in the Department of Health Behavior at Gillings and is the chair of faculty at the University.
Please join me in thanking Steve for his service to IPRC and Carolina, and in supporting Beth in her new role.
Permalink: Leadership transition at the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center
By Carleigh Gabryel, February 6, 2024
Craig Fletcher has been contributing to research at Carolina for 14 years.
Craig Fletcher has worked for UNC-Chapel Hill in a variety of roles, most recently as associate vice chancellor for research and director of the Division of Comparative Medicine within the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. He is also a professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine within the School of Medicine (SOM) and an assistant dean for animal research resources in the SOM Office of Research.
What brought you to Carolina?
I fell in love with Carolina during an internship after my undergraduate studies at N.C. A&T State University. I was part of a summer program that allowed veterinary students with an interest in lab animal medicine to shadow veterinary and biomedical scientists. It was my first experience with research, and I was fascinated that investigating animal models could lead to the development of cures for human disease.
The nurturing environment I experienced during that internship was one of the best experiences of my career. It inspired me to apply to a graduate program, and I went on to the University of Florida to complete my doctoral training in veterinary medicine. I pursued formal doctoral research training at Johns Hopkins University. After receiving my PhD in pathobiology and infectious disease, I joined the faculty at Hopkins.
During this time, I served on a National Institutes of Health scientific review group — academic scientists that review grant applications from fellow scientists. I served alongside a UNC-Chapel Hill faculty member, Virginia Godfrey, who remembered me from my internship. She recruited me to join Carolina.
How has your role here changed over the years?
In 2009, I started in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, where I continued my studies on why certain people are predisposed to having inflammation in blood vessels, which can lead to cardiovascular disease. I also helped move labs and animals into the newly constructed Genetic Medicine Building and continued to develop programs for the facility to advance preclinical translational research at Carolina.
In 2012, I became the director of the Division of Comparative Medicine. Comparative medicine is the study of disease in humans and animals, examining similarities and differences between the two. This integrated approach ultimately makes basic, medical, and clinical research more efficient and effective. Because animals are imperative for this research, I was also appointed attending veterinarian for UNC-Chapel Hill, responsible for the health and wellbeing of these animals.
At this time, UNC-Chapel Hill’s research scope and prominence was growing quickly, and our division grew with it. When I started as director, our group had 80 people in it. Today, we have more than 200. We expanded our comparative medicine programs and support while maintaining compliance and working with other entities like the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the Office of Animal Care and Use.
In 2017, as a result of my work developing and supporting our comparative medicine and preclinical translational research programs, I was promoted to the newly created position of associate vice chancellor for research (AVCR) and maintained my position as director of the Division of Comparative Medicine. I was also appointed vice chair of the SOM’s Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In these roles I have continued my work developing our research strategy and infrastructure, in addition to growing partnerships with key stakeholders.
One of our biggest current endeavors is the Translational Research Building, which will expand our ability to perform basic science research along with therapeutic drug discovery and development. As a part of this project, I have received an $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to open a core for UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus for high containment research. We will break ground on the Translational Research Building in 2025.
What’s kept you at Carolina?
Carolina’s programs create a unique training and educational environment that enhances the diversity of scientists and educators and provides opportunities for individuals to dramatically increase their knowledge in the sciences. This environment has shaped one of the best and most respected comparative medicine programs in the country.
What contribution are you most proud of?
In 2021 I was awarded the Norma Berryhill Distinguished Lecture for my strategic planning involving research animals and new initiatives and programmatic activities. This recognition has honored our most eminent faculty members. I was so unbelievably humbled by this recognition, and it would not be possible without tremendous support from the staff and faculty.
What is a uniquely Carolina experience you’ve had?
One of my first meetings at Carolina was with Oliver Smithies, UNC-Chapel Hill’s first full-time faculty member to win a Nobel Prize. Smithies’ work made possible the creation and use of knockout mice, which have contributed significantly to scientists’ understanding of how individual genes work. He embodied Carolina’s culture as a true scholar and colleague in pursuing research excellence for societal problems.
We are a public institution and providing for the people of North Carolina is at the forefront of our work. Our faculty and staff reflect the people of the state. It is an honor to work alongside my colleagues, and I am grateful for the collegiality and culture at Carolina.
Rooted recognizes long-standing members of the UNC-Chapel Hill community who have aided in the advancement of research by staying at Carolina. They are crucial to the UNC Research enterprise, experts in their fields, and loyal Tar Heels. Know someone we should feature? Nominate a researcher.
Read more Rooted stories here.