“There’s not a lot of the fiscal year left, but let’s not put the money to work just to put the money to work. “We have to ask ‘Is this a project that UNC wants its name associated with? Does the project set the tone we want?'” Ives said. Ives said the process has been “very ad hoc and rushed.” “We don’t want to send the wrong signals.” “What we fund in 2016 will signal to researchers what we’re interested in in 2017,” said member Anita Brown Graham, UNC professor of public law and government. Although all met the scientific, academic and policy requirements, collaboratory members did weigh the implications of their recommendations. There were only three for this round of funding. The tight turnaround also didn’t allow enough time for a lot of proposals to come before the collaboratory. Ives added that he would seek clarification from lawmakers and the state budget office. “Hopefully that wasn’t anyone’s intent when the language was written.” “Even if we raised the money, we might not get the match to use unless we can spend it before the end of the year,” Ives said. But the budget language is vague, Ives said, regarding how quickly the that money would have to be spent or if the funds could be carried over into the next budget year. Lawmakers also approved matching funds of $3.5 million. The legislature appropriated $1 million in annual recurring funds for the collaboratory through at least Fiscal Year 2017-2018. “Working with new vice-chancellor we can help the legislature understand that we have to have graduate students and professors lined up to fit into the cycle.” He is also the UNC chief director of sustainability and an associate vice chancellor. “This legislation was developed in a vacuum without understanding the academic calendar,” said Brad Ives, interim director of the collaboratory. Without information from UNC faculty and administrators, lawmakers didn’t consider how the state’s financial deadlines could collide with the university’s. For example, money for all the projects must be not only allocated, but also spent by June 30, the end of state government’s fiscal year.Īnd because there was no guidance on how to set up the collaboratory, the establishment of which was inserted into the state budget, the group couldn’t hold its first meeting until last November. The concept of “input” was lost on the state legislature when its leadership concocted the collaboratory last June. The two hurricane projects included requirements that researchers get input from local governments and emergency management directors. Today the group, composed of a well-rounded advisory board of scientists and public policy experts, recommended funding all three research projects that it received: two that would explore hurricane impacts and rebuilding, and another that would study wildfires. But it is clear that in hastily establishing the collaboratory, lawmakers didn’t think the process through. In turn, the legislature will, well, we don’t know what they’ll do. Only six months old, the environmental think tank at UNC is charged with funding and sponsoring research related to natural resources and the economy, then delivering those findings to the General Assembly. ![]() The NC Policy Collaboratory has an enviable challenge, but a challenge nonetheless: How to spend more than $200,000 in a hurry. ![]() Two projects funded by the NC Policy Collaboratory would study flooding and resiliency related to natural disasters. “I think there are local agencies like housing agencies or other social network providers that can look if they are located in a specific county say, ‘OK, what are the big problems here?” mentioned Kaitlin Heatwole, a research specialist with the team.Hurricane Matthew rainfall totals: Some parts of eastern North Carolina received more than 20 inches in the week prior to, and during the storm. It’s a collection of data from different government agencies and companies. McDonald said the idea for the website started in the summer. Maybe it’s worse,” explained Noreen McDonald, Chair of the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC. So, it’s easy to see is it something different in a place. We also wanted to provide a resource for state officials to look across the entire state of North Carolina and quickly get a view. “We wanted to make this work for different people. Wednesday, they launched the website: Carolina Tracker. That’s why a team of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill developed a snapshot of life during the pandemic. (WNCN) – Nine months in and it’s clear the pandemic has impacted everyone in different ways.
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