UNC’s National University Transportation Center selects first round of research projects

Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety funds 8 safety-focused projects for 2017

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (March 14, 2017) — The Collaborative Sciences Center for Road Safety announced eight research grant awards for 2017. CSCRS selected the research proposals from across the Center’s five consortium campuses (University of California, Berkeley; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Duke University; Florida Atlantic University; and University of Tennessee, Knoxville).

These first eight “quick start” projects were proposed, selected and initiated within three months of UNC-Chapel Hill receiving the U.S. Department of Transportation National University Transportation Center grant in December 2016. Projects awarded cover topics that closely fit within the Center’s goals and provide opportunities to engage staff and professionals working in several disciplines including public health, engineering, planning, data science and robotics.

“A priority for this first round of grants was projects that either advance the body of knowledge in transportation or can be translated into tools for people – professionals, students and community members –  working to improve road safety in the U.S.,” said David Harkey, director of the Center. “We were impressed by the scope of the proposals, and we anticipate that these initial research efforts will help develop the foundation of our future work within CSCRS by utilizing a systems and collaborative approach to our research.”

Selected 2017 projects include:

  • “A Comprehensive System to Support Parents of New Teen Drivers” (led by Arthur Goodwin, UNC-Chapel Hill)
  • “Advanced Analytics for Vulnerable Road User Scenarios” (led by Noreen McDonald, UNC-Chapel Hill)
  • “An Enhanced Systemic Approach to Safety” (led by Offer Grembek, University of California, Berkeley)
  • “Completing the Picture of Traffic Injuries: Understanding Data Needs and Opportunities for Road Safety” (led by Chris Cherry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
  • “Development and Evaluation of Vehicle to Pedestrian (V2P) Safety Interventions” (led by Michael Clamann and Missy Cummings, Duke University)
  • “Identifying the Safety Information Needs of Major Cities in the United States” (led by Eric Dumbaugh, Florida Atlantic University)
  • “Safe Systems Synthesis & Summit Phase 1” (led by Eric Dumbaugh, Florida Atlantic University)
  • “Structures of Stakeholder Relationships in Making Road Safety Decisions” (led by Seth LaJeunesse and Steve Marshall, both of UNC-Chapel Hill) 

For more information about these projects, which will run through Feb. 28, 2018, and other CSCRS research activities, visit roadsafety.unc.edu/research.

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CSCRS is a National University Transportation Center supporting the FAST Act research priority of promoting safety; it is one of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s five National UTCs announced December 2016. CSCRS accelerates progress in reducing transport injuries and fatalities by utilizing a systems approach to bring perspectives from planning, engineering, public health, data science and robotics to the road safety field.