Disappointed but not discouraged … Ports-to-Plains University Transportation Center Application
Monday, February 20, 2012 at 12:58PM Texas Tech University, University of New Mexico and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology had submitted an application for a Tier I University Transportation Center (UTC) to USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) in late 2011 that was specifically focused on the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. The UTC was designed to study the challenges regarding international logistics, trade law, ecosystem health and sustainability, and workforce development for agricultural and energy commerce along corridors of national significance.
The announcement below did not fund the application, but the concepts remain alive. “Yes, we are disappointed, but not discouraged (!). Working on the proposal for funding helped us to recognize the extent to which our research already dovetails with issues relevant to increasing economic activity along the PTP corridor” said Donna Davis of Texas Tech University following the announcement. “The process also enabled us to integrate research efforts by identifying potential research activities that cross disciplines at TTU and reach beyond TTU to UNM and SDSM&T.”
“The support of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, including the Heartland Expressway Association and Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association, was greatly appreciated by the universities,” said Phil Nash of Texas Tech University. “We were also very pleased with the strong support we received from federal elected officials across the region.”
Additionally, higher education institutions throughout the region were included in successful applications.
Tier I Participants
University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas
Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
Regional Participants
Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas
University of Texas, Austin, Austin, Texas
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas
North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota
University of Colorado, Denver, Denver, Colorado
University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
This is the good news. Transportation is an important research topic within the Ports-to-Plains Region. Texas Tech University, University of New Mexico and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology know more about the needs of the Alliance and are committed to help address those needs. Let’s open the doors to the other institutions with projects that we need to have completed.
The Ports-to-Plains Alliance wishes to thank Texas Tech University, University of New Mexico and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology for their recognition of the importance of the corridor, their cooperation in developing the application and their commitment to research benefitting the economy and transportation system of the region.
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U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood Announces $77 Million in Transportation Research and Education
Click here for complete release > U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of Public Affairs
January 17, 2012
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today $77 million in grants to 22 University Transportation Centers (UTCs) to advance research and education programs that address critical transportation challenges facing our nation. The UTCs, which are located throughout the United States, conduct research that directly supports the priorities of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the participating universities are a critical part of our national transportation strategy...
Reader Comments (1)
I hope that you will be able to obtain funding for the project eventually. I think it could make a great impact on local trade and logistics.
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