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.

2018 Health Equity Research Snapshot Highlights UNC Project

UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention researchers examine whether the CHANGE project is effective in reducing rates of cardiovascular diseases and increasing the reach of clinic and public community services to at-risk populations.
Satellites & Citizens: $1.5 Million NASA Grant to Study Water Storage in Lakes

A UNC team led by geologist Tamlin Pavelsky has received a $1.5 million grant from NASA’s Earth Science Division to expand a pilot citizen science program to measure lake water storage from North Carolina to the globe.
90 Minutes or Less: E. Coli Testing

Because of nationwide E. coli outbreaks — like the most recent in tainted romaine lettuce from Arizona — UNC Institute of Marine Sciences researcher Rachel Noble has developed a rapid E. coli test that only takes an hour to 90 minutes to conduct.
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.