The National Advanced Driving Simulator (NADS) at the University of Iowa has been selected to receive a University Transportation Center grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

The center, titled Safety Research Using Simulation (SAFER-SIM), will utilize driving simulation to address the safety issues prioritized by the U.S. DOT. The center will conduct research, sponsor outreach activities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) areas, and aid workforce development efforts in the area of transportation safety. The research will address all road users including passenger car drivers, transit users, pedestrians, bicyclists, and heavy truck drivers.

The SAFER-SIM center is one of six safety-related centers funded following a competition which drew more than 142 applications. NADS research director, Susan Chrysler, will serve as the center director.

The grant, valued at $1.4 million, will be shared among five universities and will foster interdisciplinary collaborative research.

Each of the consortium members is home to one or more interactive driving simulators used by faculty, students, and staff from civil engineering, industrial and systems engineering, public health, psychology, and computer science. In addition to the UI, consortium members are the University of Central Florida, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez.

NADS is a center for driving simulation excellence located at the UI’s Research Park in Coralville, Iowa. The facility is home to a range of simulators that offer varying levels of driving realism.

NADS employees are a collection of experts unmatched in their experience in working with all aspects of driving simulation. Development and research conducted at the NADS—sponsored by government, military, and industry partners—save lives, improve quality of life for motorists, advance the state of the art in driving simulation, and improve the efficiency and productivity of the vehicle manufacturing sector.

For more information, contact Chrysler at 319-335-4306 or via email at susan-chrysler@uiowa.edu.