There is a lack of evidence-based research to fill the gaps in our knowledge about how to prevent injuries.

Injuries are one of the leading causes of death among all Americans, but we need evidence-based research to fill the gaps in our knowledge about how to prevent injuries and to translate this research into practice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) funds Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs) to study injury and violence prevention. The ICRCs are a national network of academic research centers that translate research into action. The ICRCs focus on three core areas of expertise:

1. Research on the causes, outcomes, and prevention of injuries and violence
   
2. Outreach to states and communities to translate research into action 
   
3. Training future researchers and public health professionals
   

NORC assessed the local and national impact of 10 Injury Control Research Centers (ICRCs).

CDC contracted with NORC at the University of Chicago to conduct a pilot study to assess the local and national impact of core area activities conducted by 10 ICRCs funded from 2012 to 2020. 

NORC analyzed 100 ICRC progress reports, categorized and catalogued ICRC accomplishments, and entered accomplishments into a single database. Additionally, the team extracted and catalogued publications that resulted from the CDC’s ICRC funding to document the impact of ICRCs on the field. The project culminated in an impact report enumerating and synthesizing these accomplishments related to the three core functions: research, outreach, and training.