Research Roundup

New NC TraCS Resource Helps Financially Strapped Scientists Find Funding

With slashed budgets and fierce competition for grants, researchers have had to work harder than ever before to find new funding opportunities for their research. That’s where Rachel Lerner, the new NC TraCS knowledge management librarian, comes in. Part of Lerner’s job is to peruse grant-searching databases for funding to underwrite research on health and medicine. She is currently working to match the opportunities she uncovers to the more than 300 projects that have been funded through the TraC$ pilot award program. And that’s just the beginning.

She plans to expand her work to all NC TraCS investigators in need of her services. Researchers can set up an appointment with her or visit during drop-in office hours, which are held on Wednesdays from 11am to 1pm in Room 320 of the Health Sciences Library. Not surprisingly, Lerner spends a lot of her time in the library, but she also frequents the Brinkhous-Bullitt building with other NC TraCS staff. To set up a face-to-face or virtual consult outside of office hours, contact TraCS Central at (866) 966-6022 or call her directly at (919) 843-3102. Many researchers have wanted to see such a resource added to the NC TraCS arsenal.

“Having a grant scout to help you find funding for your research project can make a big difference,” said Javed Mostafa, Ph.D., one of the NC TraCS leaders. “I would think it is the most important fundamental thing the university can do. Any advantage that can be gained by using resources like that will help relieve the stress and strain of doing research."

Lerner isn’t just focusing on grants. She is also helping scientists identify opportunities for collaboration through her work on Reach NC, an internet-based initiative that enables users to find experts within North Carolina higher education and research institutions. As NC TraCS works with UNC and General Administration to roll out the new web portal to UNC’s medical campus this month, Lerner will be on hand to field feedback from users. Some of the issues she expects to address are false attribution, missing publications, disambiguation and user interface problems.

All in all, Lerner is very excited to contribute to the overall mission of NC TraCS. As UNC’s home of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs), NC TraCS is part of a national consortium that is trying to hasten the pace of biomedical research. Lerner says NC TraCS feels more like a corporate environment than an academic one, with its focus on speed and results. A recent graduate of the School of Library and Information Science at UNC-CH, she focused her studies on corporate libraries, along with knowledge management. When asked what she hopes to accomplish in her new post, Lerner is quick to answer.

“I would absolutely love to help facilitate research, and grant-seeking is certainly an important part of that,” said Lerner. “I want to see Reach NC being used as a tool at the 17 campuses that are currently staging sites. I hope to integrate myself into NC TraCS and to be seen as part of the network there and not as a novelty. There is a lot that a librarian can do for researchers here.”

At a Glance:

Who: Rachel Lerner, NC TraCS Knowledge Management Librarian

What she can do for you:

• Locate specific funding opportunities for pilot awardees
• Meet with NC TraCS investigators face to face or virtually to find funding opportunities
• Locate and help support large, interdisciplinary team grants
• Work with faculty to create accurate faculty profiles in Reach NC

Coming soon:

Development of a place on the NC TraCS membership website that would allow faculty /researchers to easily find opportunities appropriate for their areas of expertise

How to get in touch:

• Drop-in office hours: Wednesday, 11am to 1pm, Room 320, Health Sciences Library
• Office line: (919) 843-3102.