NCInnovation and UNC Asheville Launch Service Model to Support Technology Needs Across UNC Research Projects
NCInnovation and UNC Asheville’s Department of Computer Scienceare announcing a first-in-the-state approach that makes it easier for UNC System research teams to access the technical expertise needed to move innovations forward. Through a new service model led by Professor Kevin Sanft and Professor Sarah Van Wart, eligible NCInnovation projects can incorporate UNC Asheville’s technology support directly into their budgets as a subaward—bringing essential development capacity into project design from day one.
“Kevin’s team is the first in the state to designate themselves as sort of a shop for skill sets that a project primary investigator (PI) might not have– offering their services to be written in as a subaward on NCInnovation grants to complete the tasks that would typically be outsourced to a third-party vendor,” said Meagan Coneybeer, NCInnovation’s Senior Regional Director for the Western region.
The first project to utilize the model was successfully funded through a team led by Gavin Colquitt at Appalachian State University, supporting the development of an app-based physical therapy delivery platform for children under three experiencing developmental disabilities related to mobility. By integrating UNC Asheville’s technical team into the project early, the partnership is designed to support iteration, user feedback, and a clearer path toward adoption and commercialization.
“I sort of see it as a [menu of] services,” said Kevin Sanft, Associate Professor and Chair of Computer Science at UNC Asheville. “On the simple side would be just sort of web presence, website, web apps to what we’re doing with Gavin Colquitt’s team at App State which is a cross-platform mobile app.” As NCInnovation-supported teams move from research into real-world testing, technology needs can shift quickly– especially when end users provide feedback. Having an integrated technical team helps avoid common vendor pitfalls and supports iterative development.
NCInnovation’s legislative mandate includes commercializing UNC System research and strengthening statewide economic impact. This model supports both by keeping technical work—and the funding attached to it—inside the UNC System and within North Carolina.
“When we utilize a UNC System vendor, we’re sort of doubly fulfilling that mission,” Coneybeer said, “We are keeping the dollars in the UNC System in North Carolina.”
UNC Asheville is also embedding student learning into the work. Sanft explained that students will contribute substantially to development, gaining real client interaction and workforce-ready skills that complement technical training.
Kym Verhovshek, Regional Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) for the Westemphasized that structured technical planning also strengthens how reviewers evaluate commercialization pathways– especially when projects can demonstrate concrete steps for testing, iteration, and scaling. Having those technical aspects laid out is very helpful– it allows the reviewers to understand the clear line to the commercialization pathway,” Verhovshek said.
To explore whether UNC Asheville’s technical services are a fit, interested NCInnovation applicants and project teams should begin by contacting their NCInnovation Hub Director. NCInnovation will confirm project viability and then facilitate an introduction to the UNC Asheville team.
