UNC-Chapel Hill Halts Construction of Anticipated Research Building Due to Federal Cuts

EDUCATION

CHAPEL HILL – A state-of-the-art $ 228 million research building that UNC-Chapel Hill was scheduled to begin construction on soon has been stalled due to recent federal research funding cuts. The Translational Research Building has been put on hold indefinitely while the university evaluates the situation.

“Due to ongoing uncertainty surrounding federal research funding, the university has paused plans for the Translational Research Building. We are currently evaluating our research infrastructure, including our research facilities, and will continue to monitor

funding trends. Scenario planning is underway to help us remain prepared for future opportunities,” UNC Media Relations told TLR.

The university had planned to build a 174,000-square-foot building for translational research on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. The plans included a seven-story facility with lab space intended to attract additional academic researchers and conduct commercial exploration.

According to the Transitional Research Institute, translational research “seeks to produce more meaningful, applicable results that directly benefit human health. The goal of translational research is to translate (move) basic science discoveries more quickly and efficiently into practice.”

Translational research:

Encourages and promotes multidisciplinary collaboration among laboratory and clinical researchers

Incorporates the desires of the general public, with communities being engaged to determine their needs for health innovation

Identifies and supports the adoption of best medical and health practices

Translational research is often classified by which stage of translation (from beginning research to societal application and impact) it falls into. The T Spectrum (Translational Spectrum) below illustrates the different stages of translational research.

Illustration from the TRI shows the process of research to application in community.

The Translational Research Building would have contained scientific components, such as wet labs and imaging facilities, that could lead to new drug discoveries for cancers and other diseases. The hope was it would be a place where partnerships could develop between the university and companies, such as pharmaceutical and other commercial opportunities.

This announcement comes on the heels of the termination of 106 research grants by the federal and state agencies as of 2 p.m. on June 4, UNC Media Relations told TLR.

At the May 21 meeting of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees’ Budget, Finance and Infrastructure Committee meeting, Nate Knuffman, vice chancellor for finance and operations, stated that 77 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions were discontinued due to the termination of grant funding since January.

Michelle Cassell is a seasoned reporter who has covered everything from crime to hurricanes and local politics to human interest over the course of 35 years. As Editor, she hopes to encourage writers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests in TLR’s coverage of Southern Orange County news. This reporter can be reached at: Information@TheLocal Reporter.press.