TRC4 awards $18m in second round of grant funding for trauma care research
Awards fund critical innovations to improve trauma care in both military and civilian settings.

San Antonio, TX – The Trauma Research and Combat Casualty Care Collaborative (TRC4), an initiative of The University of Texas System, today announced a new round of grant awards totaling $18,000,000 to fund groundbreaking trauma research and product development across UT institutions.

“From battlefield innovation to bedside recovery, TRC4’s newest projects demonstrate how the UT System’s research enterprise is accelerating the future of trauma care,” said Kevin P. Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. 

“Trauma remains the leading cause of death for individuals under the age of 45, so research and innovation in this arena is truly lifesaving,” said Dr. James Bynum, TRC4 Executive Director. “Thanks to the continued support of the UT System Board of Regents and the Texas Legislature, these new grants build on TRC4's vital work in advancing trauma care for our service members and all Texans.”

This year’s awards span ten UT entities and include strategic collaborations with the U.S. Department of Defense. Some highlights include: 

  • UT Dallas neurosurgeons and engineers are collaborating on an AI-powered closed-loop nerve stimulation system that could revolutionize rehabilitation for individuals living with chronic spinal cord injuries.
  • UT Southwestern scientists are launching SWATT the FLAME — a comprehensive burn initiative aimed at improving metabolic recovery and reducing mortality in patients with severe burns.
  • A multi-institutional team — led by UT Health San Antonio, UT San Antonio, UT Tyler, and UT Health Houston — will combine statewide trauma-registry data with machine learning to pinpoint gaps in emergency response and continued care for critically injured patients
  • Other efforts include UT Arlington’s work on deployable surgical robotics, UT El Paso’s exploration of advanced wound-healing materials designed for battlefield environments, and UT Medical Branch’s post-doctoral fellowship program to build a next-generation trauma research workforce.

TRC4 was established by The University of Texas System Board of Regents. Based at UT San Antonio, TRC4 facilitates and funds groundbreaking collaborative basic, clinical, and translational research between UT institutions and the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Health Agency. Through research, training, and clinical partnership, TRC4 integrates efforts that transform trauma care both on the battlefield and in the civilian sector to drive dramatic improvements in survivability. 

About the Awards

Of the 53 total awards, 49 were competitive—totaling nearly $15 million—and four were directed awards totaling $3 million. Funded projects include clinical research, pre-clinical and translational research, early-career mentored studies, and proof-of-concept work.

Focus areas include:

  • Pre-hospital care
  • Novel surgical support technologies
  • Innovative devices, drugs, and therapies
  • Clinical practice techniques
  • Trauma registries and information management
  • Advanced wound management

Direct Awards:

  • UT Southwestern – $420,000. SWATT the FLAME (Fueling Lifesaving Advances in Metabolic Efficiency): A UT Burn Initiative.
  • UT Medical Branch – $1,080,000. TRC4 Post-doctoral Fellowship Program.
  • UT Dallas – $500,000. UT System Pivotal Trial: Closed-loop Vagus Nerve Stimulation of Upper Limb Functional Recovery in Chronic Spinal Cord Injuries.
  • UT Health San Antonio / UT San Antonio / UT Tyler / UT Health Houston – $1,000,000. Identification and Remediation of Delays to Definitive Care of Critically Injured Patients in the Texas Trauma System (Remedy) with Advances in AI to Improve Care for Trauma.

Competitive Awards:

  • UT Arlington – $100,000
  • UT Austin – $799,916
  • UT Dallas – $699,997
  • UT Tyler – $499,999
  • UT San Antonio – $797,240
  • UT Rio Grande Valley – $100,000
  • UT El Paso – $396,761
  • UT Medical Branch at Galveston – $3,397,292
  • UT Health San Antonio – $3,051,819
  • UT Health Houston – $2,654,579
  • UT Southwestern – $2,598,857

For more information about the 2025 TRC4 Grant Award Submissions, please visit: TRC4.org/Grants-Funded

About The University of Texas System

With 13 institutions that enroll more than 260,000 students overall, the UT System is the largest university system in Texas and one of the largest public university systems in the United States. UT institutions produced over 66,000 graduates last year and awarded more than one-third of the undergraduate degrees in Texas. They also educate more than one-half of the state’s health care professionals with a four-year degree or above and award 56% of the state's medical degrees annually. The combined efforts of UT-owned and -affiliated hospitals and clinics resulted in nearly 11.7 million outpatient visits and more than 2 million hospital days in the last year reported. UT’s $4.8 billion research enterprise is one of the nation’s most innovative, ranking No. 1 in Texas and No. 2 in the U.S. for total research expenditures and No. 3 in the U.S. for federal research expenditures. With an operating budget of $33.3 billion for fiscal year 2026, UT institutions collectively employ more than 160,000 faculty, health care professionals, support staff and students.

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