UNCW Receives $390,000 for Workforce Development in Clinical Research

WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - The University of North Carolina Wilmington's College of Health and Human Services received a $390,000 grant from the Duke Energy Foundation on Monday.

The grant was awarded to the University of North Carolina Wilmington to develop a program dedicated to clinical research and economic development.

"The College of Health and Human Services is dedicated to advocating for programs and resources that will improve the community's overall health," Charles Hardy, dean of CHHS, says. "This grant will give us an opportunity to expand our existing programs to develop a stronger workforce and create jobs so that our graduates can stay in the region and continue contributing to its quality of life. I want to thank Duke Energy for their support, and I want to congratulate our interdisciplinary team from CHHS, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the Cameron School of Business, the Southeastern NC Biotechnology Center, and the clinical research and healthcare industries for their outstanding proposal."

The program will also include a collaborative workspace in which industry partners, faculty and students can come together and learn from one another.

It will feature three key components: curriculum enhancement for the UNCW clinical research and statistics programs; a student fellowship program; and delivery of continuing education and other programming to implement industry employees with the knowledge and skills needed to support their companies and advance in the industry.

This program will begin in the spring of 2016 and will be located in the UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

"It is clear that UNC Wilmington is equipping its students with the skills needed to compete in today's rapidly evolving, global economy," David Fountain, Duke Energy's North Carolina president said. "We're pleased to work with the university to provide training to help fuel our state's economic growth."

This $390,000 grant is a part of Duke Energy Foundation's $2 million investment in the workforce development with six UNC system schools.
Duke Energy provides funding for workforce development initiatives to help prepare the next generation for successful careers.

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