Gambrell Faculty Fellows program returns to fund studies of the Charlotte region

May 11, 2020
Categories: General News Tags: Coronavirus, Economic Mobility, ECONOMY

The UNC Charlotte Urban Institute, with support from the Gambrell Foundation, is preparing to launch the second cohort of faculty fellows to study pressing issues in the Charlotte region.

The program will fund five projects this year, up to $15,000 each. The first cohort of fellows includes faculty from five colleges studying issues such as transit and access to jobs, college students and housing insecurity, and whether more available rental housing lead people to relocate in search of better schools.

Read about the 2019 Faculty Fellows and their research online here

“We are excited about the Gambrell Foundation’s commitment to fund this program for three more years,” said Lori Thomas, Director of Research and Faculty Engagement at the Urban Institute and Director of the Institute for Social Capital. “The program will continue to focus on faculty research that examines economic mobility in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region, which we know remains highly relevant as some of the worst outcomes of the novel coronavirus impact those with limited resources.”

With the economy in upheaval, Charlotte’s economic mobility picture could be drastically reframed. This year, the program is particularly interested in exploring the intersection of economic mobility in Charlotte and the effects of the novel coronavirus.

[Find the full program details here. The application materials can be downloaded here.]

This fellowship is available to all UNC Charlotte full-time faculty members with the title of assistant professor or higher whose job description includes professional expectations for research. Other key points include:

  • The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. on June 15.
  • The fellowships will fund short-term research projects (up to 18 months).
  • The grant period will begin on August 15.
  • Proposed projects must include a principal focus on issues related to economic mobility. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods projects will be considered.

If you have questions about this process, contact Lori Thomas at uiresearch@charlotte.edu or LoriThomas@charlotte.edu.