The Institute for Transportation is a hub of local, regional, and national transportation-focused research, education, workforce development, and technology transfer.
InTrans administers 14 centers and programs, and several other distinct research specialties, and a variety of technology transfer and professional education initiatives. More than 100 Iowa State University faculty and staff work at InTrans, and from 200 to 250 student assistants from several ISU departments conduct research while working closely with university faculty. Focus areas include:
- Infrastructure
- Safety
- Mobility, Data Analytics, and Resiliency
- Construction Management
- Outreach and Education
InTrans History
InTrans started modestly in 1983, with a Federal Highway Administration grant to provide training and technical assistance to the state’s city and county road agencies. In 1988, that initial program—Iowa’s Local Technical Assistance Program—was joined by one of the first-ever U.S. DOT-funded University Transportation Center regional programs. This addition greatly expanded Iowa State’s focus on, and the national impact of, programmatic transportation-based research and education.
Through the years, several additional funded centers and programs have joined a synergistic collection of regional and national initiatives that are housed and administered under the banner of InTrans. From that initial LTAP budget of $100,000, the total InTrans annual budget has grown to exceed $19 million. Together these programs provide nationally renowned research, outreach, and training programs that every day make a difference in areas as diverse as transportation infrastructure, traffic safety, and mobility.
The institute’s name has changed a handful of times since 1983 to reflect changes in the organization. In 2009, its status changed from a university center (Center for Transportation Research and Education, or CTRE) to an institute and was reflected in its new name: Institute for Transportation.