University awarded funds for new transportation center

UConn was recently awarded $2 million in funding over four years by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, thanks to the University’s status as co-leader of the National Transportation Security Center of Excellence.

The School of Engineering was named research lead of the new Center of Excellence earlier in the year. It will provide key oversight and coordination of efforts among the seven identified partner institutions, relevant agencies of the federal and state governments, first-responder agencies, and other future partners.

The federal funding provides a minimum of $500,000 a year for the next four years, and allows UConn to compete for an additional $1.5 million in funding during FY ’08.

“As the research lead, we will coordinate the efforts of our partners to develop state-of-the-art techniques and advanced methods to defend, protect, and increase the resilience of the nation’s transportation infrastructure,” says Mun Choi, dean of engineering.

“We look forward to the opportunity to involve our students, industry leaders, transportation officials, and the public in building a new transportation paradigm that meets current and future needs.”

The partners include Texas Southern University, San José State University, Rutgers, Tougaloo College in Mississippi, Long Island University, and the University of Arkansas.

The Connecticut Congressional delegation was instrumental in UConn’s successful bid to host the center, one of a consortium of new university-based research centers established by the federal government.

UConn’s School of Engineering is home to the Connecticut Transportation Institute (CTI), the Connecticut Global Fuel Cell Center, and the Booth Engineering Center for Advanced Technologies, all of which will contribute to the center’s activities.

UConn will also interact with other DHS centers of excellence and federal laboratories, as well as partnering with the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security.