RSPA 20-03
Contact: Joe Delcambre
Tel: (202) 366-4831
Friday, December 29, 2003

DOT Awards $906,000 Federal Grant for Transportation Research and Education to University of Alabama

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta today announced a grant of $906,000 to the University of Alabama for the University Transportation Center (UTC) there to support advanced research for the management and safety of transportation systems.

“We are investing in research for a safer, simpler and smarter transportation system,” said Secretary Mineta. “The return will be new systems that better direct and protect the movement of people and products for generations to come.”

Among the activities supported by the funding will be research on promoting economic development through transportation land use and safeguarding public investment through more efficient transportation asset management. Funds from the grant also will be used to recruit students into transportation professions and educate them to be future leaders of the field. The grant also will support seminars and conferences on research results for area transportation professionals.

More than 75 colleges and universities throughout the United States participate in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) University Transportation Center program, conducting combined programs of transportation research, education and technology transfer. Last year, the UTC colleges and universities graduated over 1,000 students with advanced transportation-related degrees, offered almost 2,000 undergraduate and graduate transportation courses, conducted over 400 research projects, and trained over 25,000 practicing transportation professionals.

UTC grants are administered by DOT’s Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) and must be matched by recipients on, at a minimum, a dollar for dollar basis in order to leverage the value of the federal investment.

RSPA works for the advancement of science and technology for national transportation needs. The agency also has responsibilities for ensuring the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials to industry and consumers by all modes of transportation, including pipelines, and coordination of rapid response to transportation emergencies. Information on the UTC program is available on the Web at: http://utc.dot.gov/.

Briefing Room