Skip to main content
Office of Global Engagement

UGPN Research Collaboration Fund Recipients Announced

July 18, 2018

The University Global Partnership Network (UGPN) recently announced the recipients of the seventh round of the Research Collaboration Fund between the network’s member universities. NC State faculty are represented on six out of the nine total funded projects this year.

The UGPN is an academic consortium spanning four continents that aims to develop sustainable world-class research, education, and knowledge transfer through an active international network of universities collaborating in research, learning and teaching to benefit a global society.

The fund supports international collaborations between researchers at the UGPN’s member institutions: NC State University, the University of São Paulo in Brazil, the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, and the University of Wollongong in Australia.

NC State was represented on 22 out of the 36 total proposals submitted to the UGPN.

Congratulations to the 2018 recipients below:

  • Bringing environmental quality and new life to city centres (NC State, University of São Paulo)
    • NC State collaborator – Eric Money, associate director of professional education and teaching assistant professor, Center for Geospatial Analytics
  • Global database for blow flies of forensic, agricultural and medical importance (NC State, University of Wollongong, University of São Paulo)
    • NC State collaborator – Kelly Meiklejohn, assistant professor, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology
  • Healthy Living for Healthy Ageing: A Global Focus (NC State, University of Surrey, University of Wollongong, NC State, University of São Paulo)
    • NC State collaborator – Sid Thakur, associate professor, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, director of global health, College of Veterinary Medicine 
  • Novel Quantum Phenomena towards a New Generation of Thermoelectric Materials for Energy Harvesting (NC State, University of Surrey, University of São Paulo)
    • NC State collaborator – Divine Kumah, assistant professor, Department of Physics
  • The analysis and occurrence of plastic microfibres in sewage sludge and soil (NC State, University of Surrey)
    • NC State collaborator – Melissa Pasquinelli, associate department head and director of graduate programs, associate director of NC State Analytical Instrumentation Facility and professor, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry, and Science
  • iAccelerate/E-Clinic Collaborate Data Program: Building Longitudinal Data for Research and Program Management (NC State, University of Wollongong)
    • NC State collaborator – Jon Carr, Jenkins Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship, Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
  • Health Brain ageing (University of Surrey, University of São Paulo)
  • Development of Organic Semiconductors (University of Surrey, University of Wollongong)
  • Transformative experiences in developing digital literacy (University of Surrey, University of Wollongong)

To date, the Research Collaboration Fund has supported 55 research projects covering a range of topics including antimicrobial resistance, air pollution, climate change, renewable energy, smart materials, chronobiology, and more. The consortium has led to an increase of collaborations in co-authored publications, student mobility programs, dual Ph.D. courses, and researcher mobility between UGPN partners.

Learn more about the UGPN and the impacts of the Research Collaboration Fund.