North Carolina Central University is set to ramp up its scientific footprint after announcing Tuesday that it has landed a $10 million subgrant from the National Institutes of Health. The seven-year award will power a campuswide medical research initiative, seeding translational and community-engaged projects, building student training pathways, and backing faculty with pilot funds. University officials say the goal is to better link academic labs with neighborhood health priorities and the region’s growing research workforce needs.
Details of the award
As reported by CBS17, the $10 million will be distributed over seven years as part of a larger $69 million collaboration led by Duke University. At NCCU, the funding will reach 11 departments and is designed to build capacity in translational science and community-based research. Campus leaders say the local portion will also support small pilot awards to faculty members as they develop new project ideas.
NCCU's research capacity
NCCU has been steadily building its data and translational research infrastructure, including the Center for Data Excellence and NIH-linked programs focused on health equity. According to NCCU's Center for Data Excellence, the university advances data science, machine learning and related tools to study and address health disparities. Deepak Kumar is listed on NCCU's site as associate provost and dean of research and sponsored programs and is among the campus leaders guiding the new initiative.
What the money will fund
The subgrant will cover a mix of projects, including data dashboards that track food insecurity and Wi-Fi access, training researchers in community-engaged methods, and developing ethno-dramas to raise awareness around health issues. In a statement to CBS17, Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon said, “This grant will enable North Carolina Central University to expand our research impact and deepen our engagement with communities.” University officials add that the award will also bolster efforts to ensure graduates are workforce-ready in research and health-related fields.
Why this matters for Durham
The award builds on a long-running collaboration between Duke and NCCU that the Duke School of Medicine has highlighted as a model of NIH-supported partnership and diversity efforts, according to the Duke School of Medicine. That partnership has received NIH recognition for expanding research opportunities and community engagement at an HBCU campus. Local leaders and university officials say the new funding could widen hands-on training pipelines into the region's biotech and public health jobs while giving residents more of a say in setting research priorities.
Campus officials say projects will roll out in phases over the seven-year award period, with early pilot awards and dashboard development expected to begin in the coming months. NCCU has not released a detailed public rollout schedule, but the university says faculty and students across the 11 departments named in the grant will be eligible for funding as the programs take shape.
