Research Centers & Institutes

Michael Piehler Named Director of UNC Institute for the Environment

UNC researcher Michael Piehler will take over as director of the UNC Institute for the Environment (IE) July 1. Under Piehler’s leadership, IE will conduct and facilitate interdisciplinary environmental research, focus the university's resources on significant environmental topics, and serve as a front door for environmental research, outreach, and engagement at UNC.

The One Doing the Talking

Across the nation, data indicate that meaningful conversations between teachers and students from kindergarten to third grade are limited to an average of 28 total minutes per day — something that prevents children from developing their ability to communicate in important ways. The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute’s FirstSchool initiative strives to change that.

UNC’s Largest-Ever Research Award Reaches $232 Million

MEASURE Evaluation is a five-year cooperative agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) led by UNC’s Carolina Population Center (CPC). Three years ago, the project was awarded one of UNC’s largest awards ever—$179 million for MEASURE Evaluation to work with developing countries to strengthen their public health information systems. Because of the project’s strong reputation for excellent work, the demand for its service has steadily increased. USAID just added another $52 million to the project’s funding ceiling.

Science Never Sleeps

UNC Institute of Marine Sciences PhD candidate Shelby Ziegler spends many nights (and early mornings) studying the mysteries of North Carolina’s marshes.
The Stress of Poverty on Children

UNC School of Education researcher Cathi Propper has been awarded a $2.5 million National Institute of Child Health and Development grant to study the link between poverty and developing cognitive processes that facilitate learning, self-monitoring, and decision-making in children.
Measuring the World’s Streams & Rivers

UNC geographer Tamlin Pavelsky collected the most comprehensive set of field measurements to date of stream width and length in the smallest streams, which will help with estimations of the total surface areas of rivers and streams across the planet.
Annual UNC Clean Tech Summit Urges Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Hosted by the Institute for the Environment and Kenan-Flagler Business School, the UNC Clean Tech Summit highlighted how Carolina, Research Triangle Park, and the state play a key role in leading the way to a green global economy.
Autism Clearinghouse Raises Money to Expand Research

The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute’s National Clearinghouse for Autism Evidence and Practice is raising money to expand its research on how to support and teach children with autism.