Biodynamics Grant Opportunity

Relating Impact to Unconsciousness Grant Request For ApplicationBackground: The occupant protection standards found in FAR 2X.562 have proven to reduce the level of fatalities in survivable aircraft accidents. Comprehensive studies of airplane accidents have identified injury causing mechanisms that can impede rapid egress after an accident. Since egress is critical to occupant survival in many impact scenarios, these injuries can lead to an increase in fatalities. These accident studies recommended that further research be initiated to identify enhanced means of mitigating the effects of these injury causing mechanisms, and that evaluation of these mechanisms be included in the safety standards.One of the impediments to egress identified were head injuries that result in unconsciousness or an inability to effectively navigate unfamiliar environment. The current means to assess head injury in aircraft seats is unlimited duration post-contact HIC (with a regulatory limit of 1000). While this reduces the chance of a severe head injury, it is possible that significant durations of loss of consciousness could still occur. Purpose: To address this type of injury, the FAA plans to fund research with the overall goal of developing a means of using data measured during impact tests or simulations to predict whether a human would be rendered unconscious if exposed to the same impact conditions. Tasks:Applicants are requested to supply a research proposal to provide information supporting the development of injury criteria that can predict whether an occupant is capable of egressing out of an aircraft after a head impact or significant head rotational event. Predicting loss of consciousness (LOC) should be the initial focus, however proposals related to the relationship between head impact and the ability to navigate an unfamiliar environment are also sought. The research project proposed should provide the specified deliverables within 2 years. Proposals to raise the injury threshold from LOC to functional deficit should provide an additional timeline to completion. Collaboration with the sponsoring agency is available in the form of sled testing services at the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (ATD subjects only, track availability permitting).Deliverables:A method to predict unconsciousness (or functional deficit) based on measurable, objective parameters. Substantiate the method in terms of: a) Injury risk curves (human) – with uncertainty bandsb) ATD IARVSemiannual ReportsPresentation at the Seventh Triennial International Fire & Cabin Safety Research Conference (December 2013)Final Project Presentation at a venue to be determined (within the continental United States).Administration:Document Type: Grants Notice Opportunity Category: Discretionary Funding Instrument Type: Grant Award Floor: $200,000Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No Eligibility: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education