The University of North Carolina Wilmington has named Kati Chipps as director of its Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance, according to a news release.

Chipps has experience in research administration, training and development, and nonprofit management, stated the release.

"She most recently served as a research administration manager for UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, which has a research portfolio of more than $200 million and handles nearly 1,750 proposals annually," officials said in the release.

She earned a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Idaho State University.

The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance (SPARC) "provides assistance in identifying funding opportunities, preparing proposals and ensuring compliance with government regulations and specific requirements of sponsored research and programs," stated the release.

Chipps will lead the growing needs of the university within this office as UNCW's research mission continues to expand, officials said in the release.

The university has also filled two newly created leadership positions within the office.

In June, Michael Carr began his role as assistant director for agreements. And Dana Bell took on the role of SPARC's preaward coordinator in April.

Carr has nearly 10 years of experience in research administration, most recently as interim associate director for sponsored projects at the University of Illinois at Chicago, stated the release. He earned an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Hope College in Michigan.

Bell came to UNCW in January as a proposal development specialist, stated the release. Before her roles at UNCW, she worked in research administration at the Medical University of South Carolina.

She earned a bachelor's degree from N.C. State University and a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law.

“The goal of the reorganization is to build a leadership structure within SPARC to support increased faculty and staff research as the university embraces its designation as a more research-active doctoral university,” said Stuart Borrett, associate provost for research and innovation, in the release.

“Of the $17.5 million UNCW spent on research in the last fiscal year, about $9 million was spent on salaries, and a significant portion of that supported graduate and undergraduate student researchers," he said.