As part of UNC Research Week's #WhatsNext campaign, the NC Collaboratory is highlighting #HowWeCollab with researchers to improve lives across North Carolina. Supported by the Collaboratory, Hope Thomson of the @uncsog's Environmental Finance Center and Alex Gorzalski of One Water Engineering partnered with @NCState's Detlef Knappe to help communities better understand PFAS in drinking water and plan for new federal requirements. Together, the team mapped PFAS occurrence, estimated treatment costs, and developed tools to help utilities prepare for the future. Read more about the project: collaboratory.unc.edu/news/2…

NC Collaboratory Executive Director Jeff Warren moderated a panel today at @DukeU's Critical Minerals Symposium. The panel brought together Collaboratory connections across research, industry, and government. Including @_JohnMaslin with @VulcanElements, Kate Bashford with the North Carolina Battery Industry Partnership at @appstate, Dwain Veach and his team at the North Carolina Geological Survey and Evan Leon at @Toyota. Interesting discussions and exciting momentum for North Carolina.

As part of UNC Research Week's #WhatsNext campaign, the NC Collaboratory is highlighting #HowWeCollab with researchers across North Carolina. Supported by the NC Collaboratory, Kanisha Brevard of the @UNC_SSW and Laura Phipps of the Family and Children's Resource Program examined why foster parents sometimes decline placements and how agencies can better support them. Their research explores how to help more foster families feel prepared and confident to say yes when children need a placement. Read more about the project: collaboratory.unc.edu/news/2…

As part of UNC Research Week's #WhatsNext campaign, the NC Collaboratory is highlighting #HowWeCollab with researchers to improve lives across North Carolina. Supported by the Collaboratory, @Rob_McDonough_ , an assistant teaching professor within @unccollege and Jon Williams, a professor in the same department, are studying how virtual courtroom proceedings and other court modernization efforts can improve accessibility, efficiency, and the experience of court users across North Carolina. Read more about the project: collaboratory.unc.edu/news/2…

As part of UNC Research Week's #WhatsNext campaign, the NC Collaboratory is highlighting #HowWeCollab with researchers across North Carolina. Supported by the NC Collaboratory, Kristel Robison of @hsrcinfo is examining North Carolina's graduated driver licensing system for teen drivers. Through research, surveys, and focus groups with caregivers and NCDMV staff, the project is exploring ways to ease licensing challenges and improve efficiency while preserving the safety benefits families value. Read more: collaboratory.unc.edu/news/2…

Cutting-edge research meets advanced manufacturing. Through a $600,000 investment from the NC Collaboratory, @UNC researchers are partnering with @VulcanElements to advance next-generation rare-earth magnets and strengthen domestic production. 🧲 Read more about the partnership: axios.com/local/raleigh/2026…

As part of UNC Research Week's #WhatsNext campaign, the NC Collaboratory is highlighting #HowWeCollab with researchers to improve lives across North Carolina. @UNCPharmacy researcher Delesha Carpenter is leading two Collaboratory-supported projects examining barriers to opioid use disorder treatment. Her research explores how to expand access to care in rural communities and reduce stigma in healthcare settings. Read more: collaboratory.unc.edu/news/2…

Safety concerns about harmful PFAS chemicals have prompted efforts to remove certain firefighting foams from service. What happens next? In this month's #AskTheExpert, Preston Clark Jr. explains how North Carolina is safely collecting, testing and destroying legacy firefighting foam. Find out how the state is helping prevent PFAS from reaching communities while supporting firefighter safety. Read the Q&A: collaboratory.unc.edu/funded…

A milestone years in the making!🎉 Community members, local and state leaders, researchers, and project partners gathered in Hot Springs to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a new wastewater treatment facility, marking a major achievement after years of planning, investment, and collaboration. The project was supported through the Highly Treated Wastewater Pilot Program and reflects the collective efforts of the NC Collaboratory, local officials, the @NCLeg, the @uncsog, @NCDEQ, @McGillAssociate, and many others committed to strengthening North Carolina communities. With $4 million in funding allocated through the NC Collaboratory, the project will help generate insights that can inform wastewater solutions for rural communities across North Carolina while supporting Hot Springs' continued recovery and long-term resilience post Hurricane Helene. Read more about the project: collaboratory.unc.edu/news/2…

“We don’t fund penguins on treadmills. That research may be groundbreaking…but a taxpayer in North Carolina is not going to get it, and it’s not going to help their lives. We don’t do research just for the sake of research.” – Jeff Warren   Research can be especially powerful when it informs the decisions that shape our communities. Hear NC Collaboratory Executive Director Jeff Warren discuss how the Collaboratory's unique model bridges the gap between evidence and decision-making, translating research into meaningful impact across North Carolina. 🎧Listen to the episode of The Ongoing Transformation podcast here: issues.org/local-research-fo…

📢 New funding opportunity: The NC Collaboratory is seeking research proposals focused on opioid abatement and solutions that can help North Carolina communities respond to the opioid crisis. Learn more about the 2026 Opioid Abatement RFP and apply: collaboratory.unc.edu/fundin…

💧 New Funding Opportunity: $5M for long-term water supply research in NC. The NC Collab is seeking researchers to study water needs in high-growth river basins, including the Cape Fear, Catawba + Neuse. Open to all NC #highered institutions. Learn more: go.unc.edu/Zk2p4

Time to come home, Tar Heels. ⏰

💧 As data centers expand, what could their growing demand for water mean for NC communities? @NCState’s Benjamin Rachunok is working to put real numbers behind that question — giving communities better information. Read our August #AskTheExpert: go.unc.edu/g5DPz

What if one NC industry's waste could become another’s resource? Supported by the NC Collaboratory, @NCState researchers partnered with @HighlandBrews to explore how brewery byproducts can be repurposed into livestock feed. Results look promising 🐷 go.unc.edu/x5EQs