On September 1, 2024 the NC Collaboratory submitted a legislative report highlighting the dozens of university research projects it has supported as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
The ARPA funding was provided to the Collaboratory in November 2021 when the North Carolina General Assembly passed Session Law 2021-180. This legislation awarded the Collaboratory $30 million with a directive to fund research that addressed the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19.
The legislation mandated that $15 million of these funds were to be used for a comprehensive convergent science grant program. The Collaboratory has carried out this requirement through the Business-Academia Partnership Program, which works to fund and support research to address COVID-19 related issues, such as prevention, treatment and personal protective equipment.
In addition, the Collaboratory in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction utilized a significant portion of the funds to establish the Learning Recovery Network, which is supporting 21 research projects to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on student achievement and identify strategies to strengthen in-person and online learning.
In total, the Collaboratory has invested in 42 university research projects with ARPA funds. Information on each project can be found in the legislative report.