North Carolina Making Collaboratory Permanent
June 25, 2021
In its latest budget, the North Carolina Senate makes permanent the NC Policy Collaboratory. Created in 2016, the program’s mission is “to utilize and disseminate the research expertise across the University of North Carolina System for practical use by state and local government.” And as this new budget indicates, the Collaboratory appears to work. In Issues, Jeffrey Warren reviews its evolution—from skepticism to broad approval—and successful track record. Its story, he writes, shows that by focusing on open communication, transparent processes, operational efficiencies, and real-world problem-solving, it is possible to bring science and policymaking closer together.