Transportation Solutions to Move Your World

The Center for Transportation Research (CTR) has been a nationally and internationally recognized research entity at The University of Tennessee since 1972. Today, CTR has over $10M in sponsored programs, providing increased opportunities for students and researchers. Considering the breadth of our transportation system, the quality of newly graduated transportation students must be of the highest caliber. CTR supports the Tickle College of Engineering’s mission to supply well-educated transportation students to a growing field of transportation professionals.

CTR Receives Grant for Cyber Security Research

The Center for Transportation Research UT Knoxville (CTR) received a $500,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) through the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative. This grant is one of seven totaling $2.9 million through the TNGO initiative.

CTR’s project, Building Platform for Development of Automotive Cybersecurity Testing, is part of a collaboration with The University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UTORII) and includes the development of an advanced research infrastructure for rigorous testing in controlled environments to enhance the security and reliability of automotive systems in response to increasing cyber threats. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical cybersecurity research and practical, real-world applications in the automotive industry.

“The Platform for Automotive Cybersecurity Testing (PACT) will fill a need for original equipment manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers, and startups to test their products for cybersecurity vulnerabilities that we have identified through conversations with industry partners,” said CTR Director Kevin Heaslip “This facility will be a shared resource for research, workforce development, and ultimately, the state’s economic development.”