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Economic woes have forced the N.C. Research Campus to slow down just after it got off the ground.

State budget cuts will most likely affect the Kannapolis campus's ability to hire faculty and buy equipment.

Construction at the campus a biotechnology hub that opened in October and houses facilities for seven universities in the state" is expected to continue as planned.

""It's going to be difficult to stick with our original plans for recruiting faculty and purchasing equipment"" said Tara Vogelien, business administrator for N.C. State University's Plants for Human Health Institute.

The UNC system requested $10 million more for the research campus, Vogelien said. She said the money would go toward support staff and recruiting faculty.

Rob Nelson, vice president of finance for the UNC system, said the research campus shouldn't expect to get the funds it requested given the N.C. General Assembly's budgeting woes. The UNC system is planning for 7 percent permanent budget cuts.

I'm not certain of anything" he said. To be honest with you I don't think anyone really is" but I will say it will be extremely difficult to get the funding.""

Jana Harrison" the deputy director for research administration at UNC-Chapel Hill's Nutrition Research Institute at the campus reported similar worries.

She said she did not know how much their budget would be cut but said there was concern about overspending in the down economy.

The vast majority of the research campus's funding comes from the state while the rest comes from grants for research purposes and some private funding she said.

All but one of the seven campuses are public universities. Duke University's funding comes directly from David H. Murdock the campus's founder and owner of Dole Foods Company.

But Dr. Ashley Dunham project leader for Duke's community health project said the institute still plans to spend conservatively.

Phyllis Beaver director of public relations for the research campus's developer Castle & Cook emphasized that despite the hiring freezes from some universities" three new buildings are expected to be built by the year's end.

""We can help solve some of the world's biggest problems — that goal has never changed"" she said.

When the campus opened, it was touted for its ability to create jobs as an industry leader.

Just how long it will take to reach those goals is still uncertain.

I just think it's going to take longer than everyone expects"" Harrison said. Once we've moved out of this crisis situation … we can really accomplish some things.""


Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.


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