COLUMBIA INJURY CONTROL RESEARCH CENTER

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term objective of the proposed Columbia Injury Control Research Center (ICRC) is to improve population health by reducing injury morbidity and mortality through knowledge creation, dissemination, and translation, development of innovative and structured training programs, and implementation and evaluation of evidence-based interventions and best practices. The specific aims of the Columbia ICRC are to: 1) create an administrative structure to provide effective leadership, oversight, mentorship, and coordination, to integrate expertise and other resources across academic divisions, and to leverage financial and other support for achieving the center's long-term objective; 2) expand and operate a multilevel outreach network to facilitate collaboration across public and private sectors, and to ensure access to technical assistance, training, and translation of scientific discoveries into effective intervention programs; 3) develop innovative and transformative training and education programs to provide interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students, researchers, clinicians, and other professionals; and 4) establish academic excellence in the areas of injury-related policy evaluation, translational research, and research methodology. Proposed projects address falls in older adults by translating efficacious prevention programs into local communities, disability resulting from violent trauma to youth, effectiveness of federaly funded safe-routes-to-school programs in reducing child pedestrian injuries, and impact of state medical marijuana laws on drug involvement in fatal motor vehicle crashes. The proposed ICRC will help strengthen the scientific foundation for the prevention and control of injury and violenc, and accelerate the dissemination and implementation of effective intervention programs.