Vice Chancellor's Page

Vice Chancellor’s Page

 

Funding:  Internal, External and State Expansion Budget

The programs in Extension, Engagement and Economic Development are driven by the creativity and leadership of the faculty, and funded by many different sources.  In this update, I want to highlight (1) the excellent success of faculty in competing for external public service grants and contracts, (2) the recent investments in seed funding of E&E projects, and the NC State expansion budget request for 2007-2008.

First, as of December 31, 2006, faculty on- and off-campus have successfully competed for $26 million in new grants and contracts to support Extension, Engagement and Economic Development programs.  This is a significant increase over last year in which a total of $38 million in external funding was generated.

To continue this growth in external funding, we are organizing a grant-writing workshop on March 13, 2007, at the Statewide Extension Conference.   Just as research programs often grow through such funding, so also does public service and outreach programs.

Second, to stimulate such projects we provide seed money for new initiatives and the next section elaborates this program in detail.

Finally, I am delighted by the inclusion of the “Entrepreneurship and Regional Cluster-Based Economics Development” at $2 million in recurring funds.  This is a high priority item, and the additional funds, if approved, will:

Allow the University to leverage and expand its capacity to foster entrepreneurship, develop high-growth potential companies and commercialize new technologies, and to recruit and retain jobs and investment as part of a new statewide effort focused on high priority regional industry/knowledge clusters. 

This funding will be used to increase capacity among the diverse extension and outreach organizations operating regionally and statewide to foster new micro enterprises, successfully compete for the production of new high technology-based products, and pursue focused recruitment and retention in high-priority job clusters.

See Executive Summary which provides more detail on the proposal.

Title:  Seed Grants Spur New Innovations in Extension and Engagement

The office of Extension, Engagement and Economic Development recently funded sixteen innovative projects in six colleges, the Honors Program, the Service Learning Program, and in county Cooperative Extension.   These projects increase the engagement of faculty and students in addressing needs of North Carolina citizens, communities, schools, businesses, industries and governments.

Each year the office sponsors a seed money project development competition.  In 2006-2007, from 44 proposals, the University Standing Committee on Extension and Engagement recommended funding 16 projects for a total of $155,174.

The projects must develop strategies that address critical issues, strengthen collaborative partnerships, and leverage additional future funding.

Projects range from the development of extension short courses for first responders to handle escaped animals during hurricanes or other natural disasters to health and safety programs for Latino families.  Field projects in counties focus on community design issues, marketing and tourism planning, and natural resource protection.  

Most projects involve students in service learning activities.  One focused on connecting Honors students with a program for hearing impaired children and their families; another builds faculty capacity in the College of Natural Resources for service learning activities.

As part of the efforts to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, one project will increase the mentoring of young high school girls and their mothers about opportunities in engineering.   A second expands the Science House “Physics on the Road” program, which takes exciting physics experiments to high schools and trains teachers in their uses.

Two projects specifically address new economic opportunities for farmers and agribusiness in the development of an organic grain industry, and on-farm conversion of soybean to bioethanol.  Others focus on agro-tourism and new marketing approaches to farm foods and crafts.

These seed money grants often then result in major external funding by foundations and government agencies for expanded and larger projects.  Last year’s seed money projects have generated $350,000 in new grants and over $1 million in proposals are under review by agencies.

List of 2006-2007 Extension Seed Grant winners and their abstracts.

end - 1/24/2007