Accelerating NC State’s Research Position

NC State faculty are conducting groundbreaking research that makes an impact throughout our state, across the nation and around the world. In an effort to better compete for large-scale proposals, advance research and support growth, the university will leverage the Office of Research and Innovation’s (ORI) infrastructure and resources in order to strategically align efforts at the university level to ensure coordinated, interdisciplinary engagement across the institution. 

The first action involves moving the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative (PSI) and Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide-Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) under ORI. 

“As we work strategically to accelerate NC State’s research position within North Carolina and the nation, we are taking bold steps to ensure our highest-impact initiatives operate at the scale required for national competitiveness,” says Chancellor Kevin Howell. “I’m excited to see these already strong programs develop further.”

N.C. PSI works across academia, government and industry to find solutions for some of the greatest global challenges in agriculture and bioscience through interdisciplinary, team-based science. It works to educate students from K-12 through postdocs, building opportunities and workforce training for current and future plant scientists. Its three research platforms — plant improvement, data-driven plant sciences and resilient agricultural systems — are supported through cutting-edge research facilities housed in the Plant Sciences Building on Centennial Campus. N.C. PSI teams also work to support and activate the university’s NC State Extension network to identify emerging issues and to provide research, tools and technology to North Carolinians.

CLAWS is a regional hub supported by the Department of War that brings together experts in wide-bandgap semiconductors to increase domestic production and employment, and to develop technical solutions for broad defense, industrial and commercial applications. The CLAWS hub also works to train a growing workforce at all levels. Its lab-to-fab model partners with industry to develop concrete technical solutions for emerging technologies. Wide-bandgap semiconductors allow electronic devices to operate at higher voltages, frequencies and temperatures, which enables smaller, lighter devices. 

ORI is home to dedicated staff who provide strong support for large-scale, interdisciplinary proposals to federal and industry sponsors. ORI will work with CLAWS and N.C. PSI to ensure enterprise-level engagement across the university, strengthen partnerships with external stakeholders and accelerate commercialization. ORI has worked closely with the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences since the start of these initiatives’ development. As the initiatives have expanded operations after launch, ORI continues to support shared resources and positions for each. 

“By elevating these strong engineering and plant science programs to an institutional level, we show the university’s commitment to defense and agriculture,” says Vice Chancellor of Research and Innovation Krista Walton. “By leveraging our office’s central resources, we can expand our industry partnerships and better compete for large-scale proposals, resulting in stronger economic impact for our state and nation.”

The College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will remain core partners of CLAWS and N.C. PSI as the entire university benefits from amplified growth and visibility.