# Rhode Island Hospital Injury Control Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE)

> **NIH NIH P20** · RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL · 2024 · $2,429,060

## Abstract

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.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10766218
- **Project number:** 5P20GM139664-03
- **Recipient organization:** RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael J Mello
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $2,429,060
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10766218

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10766218, Rhode Island Hospital Injury Control Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) (5P20GM139664-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10766218. Licensed CC0.

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