Twenty-two University Transportation Centers (UTCs) across the U.S. are set to receive $77 million in federal grants to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Tuesday.
The University of Central Florida, part of a consortia of 8 other universities will conduct research spear-headed by Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, which will receive a $3.5 million grant, like each of the 22 UTCs. The grants must be matched by funds from non-federal sources.
“Transportation matters in everyone’s daily life. These research centers will help us solve the transportation challenges we face today and those that we know lay ahead of us,” said LaHood in a statement. The participating universities are a critical part of our national transportation strategy, he added.
The Department of Transportation which administers the Research and Innovative Technology program used a competitive selection process to select ten University Transportation Centers (UTCs), two Transit-Focused UTCs, and ten Regional UTCs.
The University of South Florida in Tampa, one of two Transit-Focused UTCs, will also receive a grant of $3.5 million, along with consortium members, namely, Florida International University, North Dakota State University and the University of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois.
The University of Florida in Gainesville, classified as a Regional UTC, also slated to receive grant funds, will lead a consortium of 7 other universities in U.S. transportation technology, education and technology transfer.
