Research Briefs bring University of Minnesota discoveries to a wide audience
Research Briefs are a proactive media relations tool used to promote the latest University of Minnesota research through concise, 350-500 word summaries that are easy for general audiences to understand. The Public Relations team welcomes research from any field as soon as it has been accepted by a peer-reviewed publication.
Research Briefs are distributed to targeted local, state and national media, posted to the News and Events website and are often shared on college and unit social media channels. If you have upcoming research that you’d like to highlight, please fill out the Research Brief submission form, and the PR team will follow up with you.
Here are three recent examples of successful Research Briefs:
Research Brief: New method for removing PFAS from groundwater
Summary: University of Minnesota and Brown University researchers tested a new material called colloidal carbon product (CCP) to see if it could trap PFAS in groundwater. They found the use of CCP reduced PFAS concentration in groundwater, targeted multiple types of PFAS and was more cost effective than other methods used to remove PFAS from the environment.
Media coverage: Fox 9
Research Brief: Fungi from Minnesota can kill emerald ash borer beetles
Summary: University of Minnesota researchers found that several species of parasitic fungi were effective at killing emerald ash borer beetles. One tool which has shown promise combating the beetles is the autodissemination device, which traps beetles and coats them with spores of insect-killing fungi. The fungi reliably reduced emerald ash borer beetle lifespan while protecting Minnesota’s environment.
Media coverage: MPR News, CBS Minnesota, KARE-11
Research Brief: Revealing the ‘carbon hoofprint’ of meat consumption for U.S. cities
Summary: Researchers at the University of Minnesota and University of Michigan calculated the environmental impacts of the sprawling supply chains that the U.S. relies on for its beef, pork and chicken. They found that the link of urban food consumption with rural counties that grow animal feed, raise animals and process animals has the biggest impact on hoofprint size.
Media coverage: The Washington Post, ABC News, Axios
For more information about Research Briefs, reach out to the PR team at [email protected].