PROJECT SUMMARY (Overall) Injury is the leading cause of death for individuals 1-44 years of age and contributes to over 30 million emergency department visits annually1. There is a tremendous need for greater scientific understanding and strategies to combat the injury epidemic yet injury control research is underfunded compared to other leading causes of death2,3. We propose to establish the Rhode Island Hospital Injury Control Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE). The proposed Center would be the first and only NIH-funded COBRE research center to focus solely on injury control. The objective of this proposal is to establish and build a COBRE Center to support the research activities of project research leaders to ensure their transition to independently funded scientists. This objective will be met through the following specific aims: 1) establish the cores (Administrative Core, Injury Control Digital Innovation Core & Injury Control Research to Practice and Policy Core) needed to develop and sustain a thematic multidisciplinary center of research excellence on injury control and to 2) support the selection, mentorship, and career development of early career faculty through the COBRE’s research studies and a pilot study program. The RIH Injury Control COBRE research studies will target the entire spectrum of injury prevention (primary, secondary, tertiary) with individuals across the lifecycle (children, emerging adults and older adults). The three initial RPLs are three women junior faculty with outstanding potential to make significant contribution to injury science research: Leslie Brick, PhD, Elizabeth Goldberg, MD, ScM and Stephanie Ruest, MD, MPH. In addition, a pilot project program will support research proposals for future junior investigators to continue the growth of independent researchers. This mentored pilot program will allow early work to commence on important injury control topics with innovative research and allow those projects to proceed and become later Research Projects within the COBRE or to progress directly to independent funding. RIH has a strong core of senior researchers in the field of injury control science; however, our pipeline of researchers will run dry if we do not expand and replenish researchers capable of injury control research excellence. The RIH Injury Control COBRE will bring together junior investigators, senior faculty and advisory committee members to build a center which produces high level, independent researchers equipped to address and improve the substantial burden injury has on population health. It will be continuously and rigorously evaluated allowing for constant improvement and preparing our institution to accelerate its production of high-quality innovative injury control research and researchers.

PROJECT NARRATIVE (Overall) The Rhode Island Hospital Injury Control COBRE will support the development of junior researchers into independent researchers capable of leading rigorous, innovative injury control research that changes practice and policy and improves health. This will be accomplished through the establishment of three cores to develop and sustain a multidisciplinary center of research excellence which provides mentorship and career development of early career faculty through research studies and a pilot study program.