FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 5, 1999
Contact: Patricia Klinger
Tel.: (202) 366-4831
RSPA 27-99
U.S. Transportation Secretary Slater Announces Grant
to University of Missouri-Rolla for Transportation Research
U.S. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater has announced a $262,200 Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) grant to the University of Missouri-Rolla to operate a university-based center of excellence in transportation on its campus.
"President Clinton and Vice President Gore are committed to improving transportation safety, expanding education opportunities and protecting the environment," Secretary Slater said. "This grant will help ensure quality education and encourage students to explore technological innovation for the nation’s transportation system."
"Working with the University of Missouri-Rolla we will help secure some of the best and brightest minds for transportation in the 21st century and encourage innovative transportation research and development," RSPA Administrator Kelley S. Coyner said.
The grant supports the University Transportation Center (UTC) on Advanced Materials and Non-Destructive Testing Technologies, established last year under a similar grant. The Missouri-Rolla center is one of 33 University Transportation Centers funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Collectively, the UTCs include more than 80 schools throughout the United States. All of the centers conduct combined programs of research, education, and technology transfer activities.
The Center on Advanced Materials and Non-Destructive Testing Technologies specializes in addressing national needs for new technologies in the area of transportation infrastructure. Its objective is to promote the development of more durable construction materials, installation processes, and monitoring tools.
The UTC Program already has produced more than 1,200 research reports and involved more than 3,500 university students and faculty in the study of transportation. UTC Program grants must be matched by recipients on a dollar-for-dollar basis, doubling the value of the federal investment.
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