News + Events
The University’s Carolinas Engine for Grid Modernization named a finalist in NSF competition
What started as more than 300 letters of interest has come down to 15 finalists for the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines competition. And after clearing several hurdles, UNC Charlotte has advanced to one of the team’s receiving a full site visit from the NSF. As shared in this Inside Charlotte article, the Vice Chancellor for Research, Dr. John Daniels, is leading the Carolinas Engine for Grid Modernization project as the principal investigator. He shared, “This recognition underscores our role as Charlotte’s R1 university and a driver of innovation and economic growth in our region and throughout the Carolinas.”
You can also read about the University’s efforts to build an energy innovation hub in the Carolinas in this Collegiate Standard article. Visit the Carolinas Engine for Grid Modernization website here.
highlighting unc charlotte as a commercialization & startup leader
“UNC Charlotte has always had an entrepreneurial mindset,” shared Division of Research Vice Chancellor, Dr. John Daniels, in this Inside Charlotte article that highlights significant strides in research innovation, commercialization, and entrepreneurship designed to address real-life scenarios. Central to this focus is the Division’s Office of Research Commercialization and Partnerships (ORCP) which supports faculty and student inventors by protecting their intellectual property, helping bring their ideas to market, and fostering startup ventures. As ORCP Executive Director Laura Peter shared in the article, UNC Charlotte researchers are “building the technologies of tomorrow.”
With 200+ patent filings and 17 startups in the past five years, UNC Charlotte is proving to be an innovation hive. You can find the full “Commercializing Charlotte Research” story here.
The article also showcases the campus to commerce story of Dr. Jennifer Pagan, Chief Technology Officer of AquiSense and former UNC Charlotte PhD student. You can read her featured story here.
RESEARCH NEWS ACROSS CAMPUS
Researching Autoimmune Disease Treatment
A UNC Charlotte researcher and his team conduct groundbreaking gene-sequencing research to understand how our immune systems respond to pathogens, which could uncover new ways to prevent autoimmune diseases.
College of Science full story.
Summer Research Symposium Recap
More than 140 undergraduate researchers from disciplines and colleges across campus shared their work at this year’s Summer Research Symposium sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR).
Read the full story here.
AI & Copyright: The Future of Creativity
The Division of Research Office of Research Commercialization and Partnerships and the College of Arts & Architecture explored the impact of AI on creative works and copyright with the Director of the U.S. Copyright Office.
Read the full story here.
Featured event
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM
To kick-off North Carolina Life Sciences Week, UNC Charlotte, in collaboration with NCBiotech, is hosting “The Biomedical Sciences Symposium: Presenting New Breakthroughs and Exploring New Horizons and Collaborations in Biomedical Sciences” on September 15th at the Dubois Center. Learn more here.
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Celebrating a UNC CHARLOTTE RESEARCHER WHOSE INVENTION IS DISINFECTING WATER AROUND THE GLOBE
While a post-doc researcher here at UNC Charlotte, Dr. Jennifer Pagán invented a water disinfection technology using UV-C LED light. Now that system is being used to disinfect water on every continent, and even supplies clean water on the International Space Station.
Dr. Pagán’s revolutionary work has been featured in the Bayh-Dole Coalition’s 2025 “Faces of American Innovation” report – an annual report that honors a prestigious group of researchers, entrepreneurs, and administrators whose groundbreaking work, made possible by the Bayh-Dole Act, has changed the lives of millions in the United States and abroad. You can find the press release here.
On June 4, Dr. Pagán and four other innovators will receive the 2025 Bayh-Dole Coalition American Innovator Award.
Dr. Pagán’s water disinfection technology using UV-C LED light was also featured in the National Academy of Inventors and the US Patent and Trademark Office “Campus to Commerce” video series.
Explore her journey from a small UNC Charlotte start-up to founder and CTO of the multinational company, AquiSense.
honoring unc charlotte researchers
It was an evening of excitement and recognition at the Leaders in Research Celebration on March 27th, where researchers from across campus were honored as part of UNC Charlotte’s Million Dollar Research Circle. The event also honored the First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal awardee for outstanding scholarship, creativity and research among the University’s senior full-time faculty members. You can find more on each of these stories below.
reaching r1: advancing research, elevating impact
UNC Charlotte has achieved the Carnegie R1 designation, placing us in the top tier of ‘very high research’ universities. We are so excited to celebrate the hard work of our entire campus research community, including faculty, staff, students, and our community-industry partners. We’re also excited about positively impacting our communities, region, and the world.
Research Strategic plan
We are thrilled to announce the release of Research Shaping What’s Next: UNC Charlotte’s Research Strategic Plan 2022-2032 (RSWN)!
