Across the United States, several funding sources support university research focused on public health. These grants help develop practical solutions to health problems. They also train future healthcare workers through education and teamwork.
At East Carolina University (ECU), researchers Dr. Stephanie Richards and Dr. Patrick Briley received NCInnovation grant funding to create technologies aimed at improving public health. NCInnovation is a public-private partnership based in Research Triangle Park. It helps move ideas from North Carolina research universities toward being sold or used by the public.
NCInnovation gave $13.6 million to 17 researchers. This shows strong support for projects that deal with health problems in real life. These grants help move university ideas to businesses and into the community. They support projects between the first tests and being ready for the market.
The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health runs the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP). Since 2004, it has given more than $290 million. The money supports over 600 projects that aim to improve health and fairness for different groups of people. WPP focuses on three main areas:
WPP funds many projects, such as breast cancer, addiction help, teen health, and food fairness. In 2025, they gave $3.6 million to six teams for Collaborative Health Sciences Grants. This supports teams from different fields working together on tough medical problems. These investments show how public groups can improve health across the state with grant support.
The UNC Gillings School focuses on research and innovation that aim for health fairness and worldwide impact. Their Innovation Labs and programs use funds to turn university research into health actions that help both local and global communities.
Since 2007, the Gillings Innovation Labs (GILs) have given $7.8 million in funding and attracted an extra $332 million in research grants. Their work led to 507 scholarly articles and helped start 57 new companies from campus innovations. One company, SNP Therapeutics, came from research that made a prenatal genetic nutrition test.
The school supports teachers and students in starting businesses through mentoring, pitch contests, and educational programs. This creates a place where research ideas can grow into real health solutions used by clinics and hospitals. This system focuses on early-stage innovations that aim to improve health services and patient results.
Besides university programs, national foundations and agencies provide important funding for health projects:
These groups provide key support to take university research into large clinical and community uses.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technologies are more common in healthcare innovation supported by grants. These tools help solve problems in medical offices and improve patient care. They make operations smoother and help patient communication.
One useful example for medical office managers and IT leaders is Simbo AI. This company uses AI for front-office phone automation. Its AI answering service can handle many calls, schedule visits, and give patients quick information. This saves staff time and makes patients happier.
University projects using grant money also use AI in clinical work, such as:
Automation tasks powered by AI reduce paperwork and improve correctness and speed in medical offices. For example, automatic appointment reminders and patient sorting systems can lower missed visits and make scheduling easier.
The growing use of AI in grant-funded projects shows the important role technology plays in changing healthcare management and patient care.
There are many benefits for medical practice managers and IT leaders from university innovations supported by grants:
Medical office managers, owners, and IT leaders can gain by:
Grant money helps university research develop health solutions that affect local communities and the bigger health system. These tools—from AI speech therapy to certain mosquito control tests—provide useful options for medical offices. Learning about and using this science-based technology will be important for healthcare leaders working to improve efficiency, patient results, and fairness in health.
Groups like NCInnovation, Wisconsin Partnership Program, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, ARPA-H, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation turn university knowledge into real health solutions. Their programs support many projects focusing on practical innovation, teamwork, learning, and fairness. AI and automation, shown by companies like Simbo AI and university tools, play a growing part in this system. They help lower administrative work and improve patient care.
Medical office managers and IT workers should stay involved with these advances. Matching their practice’s work with grant-supported tools can improve service, efficiency, and positive health results in communities across the United States.
The grant funding from NCInnovation aims to support inventions with real-world applications, unlocking the innovative potential of North Carolina’s universities.
The researchers mentioned are Dr. Stephanie Richards from East Carolina University and Dr. Patrick Briley, who developed a compact wind tunnel for pesticide testing and a digital platform for speech therapy, respectively.
Dr. Stephanie Richards developed a compact, cost-effective wind tunnel to test the effectiveness of pesticides, offering a faster alternative to traditional field testing.
Dr. Patrick Briley’s project focuses on creating a digital platform that helps speech-language pathologists treat stuttering using AI-driven lessons and virtual reality for practice.
The technology addresses social anxiety by providing immersive virtual reality environments for practice, along with customized treatment plans based on individual speech patterns.
The grant reinforces ECU’s mission of transforming university research into practical solutions that enhance public health and drive regional economic development.
Seventeen researchers across North Carolina were selected to receive a total of $13.6 million in NCInnovation funding during this funding cycle.
NCInnovation supports university applied research during the critical phase between proof of concept and market readiness, facilitating the commercialization of university innovations.
ECU’s designation as a Carnegie R1 institution places it in the top 5% of research universities in the nation, highlighting its research prowess.
The overall goal of NCInnovation is to accelerate the commercialization of innovations from North Carolina’s research universities, benefiting regional communities and enhancing American competitiveness.
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