Could North Carolina’s Collaboratory be a national model for incorporating scientific research into policymaking?

Researchers at University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences began more than a year ago tracking in wastewater the virus that causes COVID-19, just as the pandemic was beginning to sweep across the globe.

On May 4, researchers from the PFAS Testing Network held a virtual forum to share the latest findings and recommendations from a multi-year study on PFAS, which are often referred to as “forever chemicals.”

While face coverings, physical distancing and testing events have come to define COVID-19 for many colleges and universities, including Appalachian State University, a key component of managing the global pandemic runs in the sewers beneath their campuses.

Federal COVID-19 funding allocated by the N.C. General Assembly is supporting vital research by Carolina scientists, who are keeping tabs on the deadly coronavirus using wastewater and nasal test swabs.

Plans for legislation to deal with riverine flooding and improve flooding resiliency are moving forward in the North Carolina General Assembly this month, with a major review of policy and funding needs planned for next week.

With funding from the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory, UNC epidemiologist Kimberly Powers and her team conducted a two-part study to gain insight into how N.C. public school districts have handled reopening and the experiences and perspectives of teachers.

N.C. Central University received a million-dollar grant from the Collaboratory for COVID-19 research and care to create the Advanced Center for COVID-19 Related Disparities (ACCORD) to study the impact of COVID-19 in underserved communities.

Residents in southeastern North Carolina who have been exposed to chemicals in public drinking water are experiencing compounding effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the vaccine may not protect them as intended.

The UNC System’s six historically minority-serving institutions have each received a new mobile freezer capable of safely storing and transporting COVID-19 vaccine vials.