Missouri University of Science and Technology’s National University Transportation Center – one of only 10 in the nation – will receive an additional $3.2 million in federal funds for its research program, U.S. Sen. Kit Bond announced.
Missouri S&T’s High-Bay Structures Lab is part of the campus’s National University Transportation Center, one of only 10 in the nation.
“The work being done at the Missouri S&T National University Transportation Center is essential to the modernization of our nation’s infrastructure,” said U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, ranking member on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee that funds the nation’s transportation programs. “I am pleased to have worked with University officials to secure these funds and am proud Missouri S&T is leading the way in developing solutions to America’s transportation challenges.”
“For more than a decade, the National University Transportation Center at Missouri S&T has addressed critical transportation infrastructure issues through this program, and we’re very thankful to Sen. Bond for his continuing support of this important work,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor John F. Carney III. “We also very much appreciate Sen. Bond’s ongoing efforts to provide support for improving the nation’s transportation infrastructure.”
“The additional funding provides critical support necessary for our faculty and students to advance the state-of-the-art of the technology to not only repair and rehabilitate our nation’s aging transportation infrastructure, but also for new construction of transportation structures that have better performance, safety and lower life cycle cost,” says Dr. K. Krishnamurthy, Missouri S&T vice provost for research and sponsored programs.
Missouri S&T is one of 10 universities to receive a designated National University Transportation Center (UTC) in the 2005 federal highway bill, which Bond authored as then-chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works’ Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.
The UTC program was created in 1988 to meet the nation’s need for the safe, efficient and environmentally sound movement of people and goods through research, education and technology transfer. Participating universities are involved in a variety of advanced and applied research ranging from intelligent transportation systems and fuel-efficient vehicle deployment to innovations that will improve passenger safety and reduce traffic and freight congestion. National UTCs are expected to provide national leadership in advancing research and technology solutions to America’s transportation challenges.