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Office of Research and Innovation

University Research Committee

The University Research Committee is the faculty’s voice to research administration.

Who We Are

North Carolina State University’s University Research Committee (URC) is the faculty’s voice to the research administration. The faculty body is comprised of individuals who have active research programs and who have been appointed by their College’s Associate Dean for Research. 

The URC champions the progression of NC State research through evaluating and advising on research-related issues while simultaneously helping to identify emerging areas of interest or concern affecting faculty engaged in research. It is the intention of the URC to be a forum of discussion for research inquiries faculty have and to liaise with the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) for potential solutions.

Mission

To provide a faculty perspective on matters of research direction and administration, to identify and make recommendations on research infrastructure and administration topics that are integral to faculty research productivity, and to serve as a communication liaison between the university faculty and ORI.

Charge

The responsibilities of the URC are to advise the Vice Chancellor for the Office of Research and Innovation and to:

  • Encourage and support the intellectual and research interests of the faculty;
  • Evaluate and advise on research and administration policies and procedures, including consulting practices, and promote their continuous improvement;
  • Inform the faculty on the availability of support for research and professional development, and assist as it can in securing such support; and
  • Recommend to the Vice Chancellor the allocations to be made from the Research and Innovation Seed Funding (RISF) Program.

If you have a topic for the URC to review, please email your College representative listed below.

College Representatives

  • Chair: Susana Milla-Lewis, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, CALS
  • Chair-Elect: Roger Narayan, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, COE
  • Communications Manager: Sofia Colón, Office of Research and Innovation
  • CALS
    • Matt Koci, Prestage Department of Poultry Science
  • CED
    • Cesar Delgado, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education
    • Meghan Manfra, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences
  • CHASS
  • CNR
  • COD
    • Gavin Smith, Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
    • Jianxin Hu, Department of Architecture
  • COE
    • Yong Zhu, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • COS
  • CVM
  • PCOM
  • WCOT

Role, Time Commitment and Appointments

For Faculty Members

  • Expectations
    • Coordinate with your College’s other representative to ensure at least one of you attends each URC meeting, 
    • Review meeting minutes if you’re unable to attend,
    • Share updates and resources from ORI and research partners with your College,
    • Be the conduit between your College and the URC for questions, concerns and feedback,
    • Vote in polls and respond to surveys, both during the meetings and via email, and
    • Represent the URC at events when asked (e.g., New Faculty Research Orientation, Research Week). 
  • Time Commitment
    • 1.5 hours/month for six hybrid URC meetings,
    • Additional time sharing updates with your College and bringing feedback to the URC, and
    • Occasional representation at campus research events.
  • Appointment
    • Appointments to the University Research Committee are managed at the college level.
    • The Associate Dean for Research for each College has the authority to select two representatives to serve on this committee.
    • Contact Sofia Colón with inquiries.

For Ex-Officio Members

  • ORI will coordinate your participation for meetings that include topics or presentations relevant to your unit.
  • Expectations
    • Attend URC meetings as needed as a subject matter expert, 
    • Respond to questions related to your area of expertise, 
    • Share relevant updates and resources from your unit.
    • Bring concerns, questions, or ideas raised in URC discussions back to your unit as appropriate.
  • Appointment
    • Ex-officio members are provided appointments by virtue of another position.
    • Appointments are regularly reviewed by ORI staff with adjustments made to the number of appointees and the departments/units represented.