UAB's Injury Control Research Center (ICRC) Named UTC Recognizing the UAB ICRC’s track record of excellence in research and innovation, the United States Department of Transportation has named the Center as one of eight new University Transportation Centers (http://utc.dot.gov) to be funded through DOT’s Centers of Excellence initiative.

The ICRC is the only UTC associated with a medical school, and its biomechanical research emphasis is likewise unique to the UTC program. The $2 million funding will support research from FY 2006 through FY 2009. The specific research to be funded will be determined as the ICRC leadership develops a strategic plan in conjunction with the DOT UTC oversight agency, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (http://www.rita.dot.gov). The UTC program began in 1987, and has continued through successive funding cycles to its present level of 33 UTCs throughout the country. By partnering with universities on research into transportation issues, DOT sought to increase research innovation, effectively place its research dollars with top research centers, and draw undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level students into the transportation field, thereby ensuring continued innovation in resolving transportation problems and issues.

The number of injury control programs and projects continue to increase at UAB, which has led to the establishment of an umbrella entity to be known as The UAB Transportation Safety and Injury Research Institute. Developed by Dr. Russ Fine and Dr. Loring Rue, the new Institute will promote the consolidation and appropriate integration of numerous injury control research, education and training centers, programs and projects that have come to fruition through ICRC. UAB leadership is working with Drs. Fine and Rue to relocate all injury control activities into one dedicated facility.

Dr. Fine is the founder and director of ICRC, and the founder and Principal Investigator (PI) of the Southern Consortium for Injury Biomechanics. Dr. Rue is a Professor of Surgery at UAB Medical School, where he is Chief of Trauma and founding Director/PI of The UAB Center for Injury Sciences.