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Office of Research and Innovation

2026 University Research Symposium

Extending Our Research Reach
3.31.26 | 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Duke Energy Hall

What To Expect

The 2026 University Research Symposium (URS) will highlight how NC State faculty can extend the reach of their research so its impact is felt across North Carolina and beyond.

URS provides a space for scholars to learn, connect, and forge new partnerships that will collectively shape the future of research across the university.

Programming is created by the Research Leadership Academy and hosted by the Office of Research and Innovation. Please contact NC State Research with any inquiries.

Registration is required and covers both general attendance and the Research Poster Slam application.

Registration Required
In-Person Only

Register

Open Call | Research Poster Slam

Share how your research and scholarship impacts communities. As part of your registration for the symposium, submit a brief description of your research for a chance to be one of 20 featured presenters.

This opportunity is open to all faculty and staff researchers and scholars.

The URS theme highlights NC State’s land-grant mission, focusing on:
-Addressing real-world challenges,
-Fostering partnerships, and
-Creating a positive impact in North Carolina and globally.

Register

Program Outline

Who should come: faculty, leadership, staff, post-docs, and graduate students interested in NC State’s research landscape.

10 a.m. | Opening Remarks

  • Vice Chancellor Krista Walton will welcome guests and frame the importance of extending the reach and impact of NC State research.

10:10 a.m. | What Funders Expect Now: Positioning Research Across Funding Sources

  • A moderated discussion examining how funding expectations are shifting across sponsor types and what those shifts mean for how researchers frame and position their work.
  • Moderator
    • Bill Rand, McLauchlan Distinguished Professor of Marketing and Analytics, Goodnight Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Analytics
  • Panelists
    • Dawn Mason, Assistant Vice Chancellor, Office of Partnerships
    • Nadine Wong, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Infrastructure, Office of Research and Innovation
    • Chris Frey, Associate Dean for Research (College of Engineering) and former EPA program officer
    • Brett Makens, Senior Manager of Global Partnerships and Events, Novo Nordisk Foundation

10:45 a.m. | Citizen Science Presentation

  • What does it look like when the public doesn’t just receive research but actively participates in it?
  • Citizen Science Campus
  • Presenter
    • Caren Cooper, Professor, Forestry and Environmental Resources, Chancellor’s Faculty Excellence in Leadership in Public Science University Faculty Scholar

11:30 a.m. | Amplify Research Impact

  • Join NC State’s chief communications officer for an overview of university resources and expertise available to you to share research discoveries.
  • Presenter
    • Lisa Schiller, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Vice Chancellor for University Communications and Marketing

11:50 a.m. | Research Poster Slam

  • Come and browse posters showing the impact of NC State research.
  • Presenters will deliver brief, high-energy previews of their research, followed by an interactive discussion at poster stations.
  • Presenters
    • Various NC State researchers and scholars

1 p.m. | Closing Remarks

1:05 p.m. | Lunch

  • Informal networking and continued conversations.
2025 URS
2024 URS
2023 URS