About
The North Carolina Collaboratory is a research funding agency that partners with academic institutions and government entities to transform research into practical information and technologies for use by the State and local governments and the communities they serve.
Since its authorization in 2016 by the General Assembly (see 31A N.C.G.S. Sec. 116-255) the Collaboratory has stewarded approximately $225 million in appropriations from the legislature, investing in over 600 research projects that have the potential to develop innovative, evidence-based solutions that benefit our State and its residents.
Initially focused on environmental and natural resources research, the scope of the Collaboratory’s portfolio has expanded to include projects focused on public health, education, technology, and infrastructure.
Given the Collaboratory’s history, our mission has always been clear: To serve the State.
NC PFAS Testing Network
The North Carolina Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Testing (PFAST) Network is a statewide research collaboration to test for current levels of PFAS chemicals in drinking water and air samples across the state. The Network comprises Principal Investigators from NC State, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC Wilmington, UNC Charlotte, ECU, and NC A&T who have received NC General Assembly funding through the NC Policy Collaboratory.
The NC PFAST Network was created in response to a legislative mandate and funding by the North Carolina General Assembly to help answer questions about exposure to PFAS chemicals throughout NC. The General Assembly asked that the “profound, extensive, and nationally recognized faculty expertise, technology, and instrumentation existing within the Universities of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Wilmington, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Duke University, and other public and private institutions of higher education located throughout the State should be maximally utilized to address the occurrence of PFAS, including GenX, in drinking water resources.”
Research
Doing COVID-19 Dirty Work
Preliminary results from a state-wide collaboration have shown that by using wastewater, researchers can identify COVID-19 hot spots five to seven days before they are reflected by clinical testing results.
UNC Researchers Successfully Remove PFAS Chemicals from Water
PFAS, or per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, are a family of over 5,000 chemicals. They are byproducts in the production of everyday items like Teflon, food packaging, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foam, and even makeup.
The Known Unknowns
The impact of PFAS on human health is largely unknown. Scientists from multiple North Carolina universities are researching dangerous chemicals found in drinking water sources across the state.