CE24-001, UNC INJURY PREVENTION RESEARCH CENTER

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This competing application requests R49 funding to continue the work of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) as a CDC-supported Injury Control Research Center (ICRC). The Center’s mission is to advance the field of Injury and Violence Prevention (IVP) through interdisciplinary research studies, and by training the next generation of IVP researchers and practitioners. The Center is organized around three Cores. The Administrative Core, led by Center Director Marshall and Associate Director Moracco, ensures timely communication and synergy among the three Cores, and between the Cores and the Center’s Research Projects. The Administrative Core also oversees operational support functions. The Outreach Core, led by IPRC’s Managing Director for Outreach, Partnerships and Capacity Building (Taraskiewicz), and mentored by Center Associate Director Moracco, utilizes well-established practice-based partnerships to conduct programs that build capacity in the IVP workforce. The Outreach Core also ensures that the Center’s scientific and practice-based products are rapidly disseminated to diverse communities, using tools and messaging that translate readily into evidence-based practice and policy. The Training and Education Core, led by Associate Professor Shanahan, implements education and training programs that support and diversify the future IVP workforce. These include student-led research groups, student fellowships and internships, formal courses and webinars, and mentoring support. The Center’s Core Faculty, led by Associate Professor Naumann, are an interdisciplinary group of emerging, mid-career, and established IVP scholars. All aspects of the Center’s work are infused with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. The four Research Projects proposed in this application build upon and extend existing areas of strength among the Center’s Core Faculty. The four Projects are led by one mid-career investigator (Reyes) and three early-stage investigators (Austin, Ising, and Naumann). All four Projects include an equity focus area. Three of the four Projects address the three NCIPC Director’s Strategic Priorities (Project 1: Adverse Childhood Experiences; Project 2: Suicide; Project 4: Drug Overdose) and each Project addresses at least one NCIPC Research Priority. Projects 1, 3, and 4 are Translation Science. UNC IPRC has strong Institutional Support from UNC and support from state IVP leadership and government. The Center is a trusted wellspring of injury and violence knowledge and expertise, both in-state and nationally. We bring 35 years of ICRC experience and scholarship to bear on emerging issues and trends in injury and violence. In summary, the Center is dedicated to producing high- quality IVP science, and ensuring that science is translated into lives saved and improved.