Research Centers

The Center for Integrated Transportation Systems Management (CITSM)
The Center for Integrated Transportation Systems Management (CITSM) at the University of Maryland College Park was established as a tier I university transportation center in 2008. The goal of the center is the Development of Advanced Technology, Improved Processes, and Enhanced Organizational Structures for the Integrated Management and Operation of Transportation Facilities and Corridors.

Bridge Engineering Software and Technology Center
The Bridge Engineering Software & Technology (BEST) Center of the University of Maryland was established in 1986 to develop bridge related technology and provide a mechanism whereby the bridge oriented software which was developed for the Maryland State Highway Administration is made available on a commercial basis to other state design agencies and private consultants. The BEST Center has been in operation for over ten years and has established a premiere quality development team and user base. Through bridge related projects, including laboratory and on-site testing, the BEST Center has accumulated years of experience and knowledge related to bridges.

Center for Advanced Transportation Technology
The vision of the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT) is the creation of a self supporting facility to address the application of information and systems science to the Transportation Engineering discipline. The Center builds on the capabilities of the University's Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Departments and their associated centers and institutes. It draws on the significant resources of the State of Maryland and the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

Center for Geotechnology Centrifuge Modeling
The UMCP geotechnical centrifuge is a 30,000 g-lb, 3m diameter, 200g modeling facility located in the Civil Engineering Laboratories at the University of Maryland. It has been applied successfully to a range of funded research problems. For example, when the response of deep soil, rock and fluids are essential parts of the engineering system, full scale self-weight effects are not correctly replicated in conventional physical models. This can be overcome, however, if those small physical models are tested while experiencing an increase in self-weight by spinning it on a geotechnical centrifuge. A 1:100 scale physical model using soil from the field, for instance, would be subjected to 100 times of earth's gravity.

Center for Networking of Infrastructure Sensors
The primary focus areas of the CNIS are to: 1) conduct research and development in the networking of infrastructure sensors; and 2) provide a testbed for high data rate infrastructure sensing using hybrid free space optical/RF wireless communication links with connectivity to next generation backbones (e.g., Internet II; ATDnet). Existing research includes: 1) scalable networks for military C4 ISR systems; 2) optical Wireless Sensor Networks For Critical Infrastructure Surveillance; 3) agile transceivers for optical wireless communications; 4) video surveillance testbed; 5) topology control, autonomous reconfiguration and pointing, acquisition and tracking.

Center for Technology & Systems Management
Founded in 1996, the Center for Technology and Systems Management leverages the expertise of both in-house experts and external associates to offer the following capabilities to its clients:

• Systems engineering that encompasses functional modeling, technology forecasting and assessment, human and organizational factors, and expert opinion elicitation; *Reliability, risk, statistical and decision studies that include risk analysis and management, risk-based regulation development, risk profiling, modeling and analysis, risk-based decision making, multi-criteria ranking and decision making, as well as failure, crash and accident investigation including forensic engineering; Information technology that includes web-based computing, databases, visualization, and simulation.
• Project management that includes scheduling with network optimization and equilibrium problems.
• Robotics, automation, control and intelligent systems.

The CTSM's strength stems from its ability to develop technologies and creatively utilize sophisticated analytical tools to meet a set of objectives for decision situations relating to various systems, such as defense, homeland security, maritime, infrastructure, facility, health, intelligent and equipment systems. The technologies and systems are further defined in the context of many industries. Using a matrix structure of technologies and systems, several primary thrust areas were identified to constitute primary interests and the scope for the center by capitalizing on existing resources, including the University of Maryland at-large. The products of the CTSM increase efficiency and effectiveness, enhance reliability, reduce failure rates, and support rational decision making for a cost-effective management of risk.

Engineering Systems Management and Decision Making Group
Working group of engineering, applied mathematics, and business school professors who share a common interest in developing models and algorithms for decision-making purposes.

Maryland Transportation Technology Transfer Center
In 1982, Congress authorized the establishment of the Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP). The goal of the RTAP was to provide for transfer of technology to local transportation agencies such as counties and small municipalities under 50,000 population. The 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act broadened the responsibilities to include all areas under one million population and the name was changed to the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP). The program is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). To accomplish the goal, FHWA has established, in cooperation with state highway agencies, ""Technology Transfer (T2) Centers"". The Maryland Transportation Technology Transfer (T2) Center was one of the earliest T2 centers organized, starting in 1984.

Maryland Water Resources Research Center
The Maryland Water Resources Research Center was established in 1965 to develop new technology and more efficient methods for resolving local, state and national water resources problems. In addition to supporting research, its mission includes training water scientists and engineers and disseminating information to the public.