How Multi-disciplinary Research Centers and Networks Can Advance the Science of Firearm Injury Prevention

• Published date: 01 November 2022
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231166597
• Author: Carissa J. Schmidt,Leigh Rauk,Rebecca M. Cunningham,Marc A. Zimmerman,Jessica S. Roche,Patrick M. Carter
• Date: 01 November 2022
• Subject Matter: Opportunities for Gun Violence Prevention

242 ANNALS, AAPSS, 704, November 2022

DOI: 10.1177/00027162231166597

How Multi-

disciplinary

Research

Centers and

Networks Can

Advance the

Science of

Firearm Injury

Prevention

By

CARISSA J. SCHMIDT,

LEIGH RAUK,

REBECCA M.

CUNNINGHAM,

MARC A. ZIMMERMAN,

JESSICA S. ROCHE,

and

PATRICK M. CARTER

1166597ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYRESEARCH AND FIREARM INJURY PREVENTION

research-article2023

Firearm injuries are a leading cause of injury-related

deaths in the U.S., but there is a dearth of federal fund-

ing for research on firearm injury prevention, com-

pared to funding for research on other injuries and

diseases. University research centers/institutes (C/Is)

are in a position to help generate such research: they

are multidisciplinary, have the capacity to conduct

large-scale research projects, and commonly address

complex health and social problems. In this article, we

trace the history of research on firearm injury preven-

tion, describe the different kinds of C/Is and C/I net-

works that have been developed to build knowledge in

other areas of critical social concern, and argue for the

development of a national coordinated network of fire-

arm injury prevention C/Is.

Keywords: firearm violence; firearm injury; injury

prevention; university research centers;

university research institutes; research

networks

Fatal and nonfatal firearm injuries are an

urgent public health priority. However,

injury prevention science has failed to achieve

the same level of progress in reducing firearm

injury and deaths as it has in other areas (e.g.,

motor vehicle crashes). This lack of progress is

due, in large measure, to an absence of federal

funding that is needed to conduct high-quality

Correspondence: cartpatr@med.umich.edu

Carissa J. Schmidt is an assistant research scientist at

the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm

Injury Prevention. She has published a well-cited scop-

ing review on risk and protective factors for youth

firearm violence as well as other publications in the

fields of youth violence and community psychology.

Leigh Rauk is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of

Michigan, where she studies firearm injury prevention

among adolescents and teens with the FACTS consor-

tium. Specific areas of study include firearm-related

behaviors and events within schools and factors that

contribute to the well-being of youth across all ecologi-

cal levels.

RESEARCH AND FIREARM INJURY PREVENTION 243

research studies, build a robust data infrastructure to answer critical scientific

questions, and train new and developing researchers. In recent years, federal

research funding has been increased—due in part to an update in Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) appropriations language that allows the

CDC to conduct research on the causes of firearm violence (He and Sakran

2019)—and researchers are now calling for multidisciplinary and interdiscipli-

nary research that combines expertise from diverse fields and also engages com-

munities impacted by this problem.

The recent increase in funding is a promising step toward answering the need

for robust research, but individually funded studies are not likely to have the

transformative effect needed to overcome the knowledge deficits that have

accrued from a lost generation of research. University research centers/institutes

(C/Is) may be an ideal mechanism for combining multidisciplinary research with

a solid data infrastructure to understand the magnitude of the individual, inter-

personal and broader social costs of firearm injuries in the U.S.: they have the

capacity to develop a pipeline of researchers that can move in innovative direc-

tions, retain institutional memory, and engage community partnerships in ongo-

ing research efforts. The focus of this article is to trace the history of research on

firearm injury prevention, describe the different kinds of C/Is and C/I networks

that have been developed to build knowledge in other areas of critical social

concern, and argue for the development of a national coordinated network of

firearm injury prevention C/Is.

Rebecca M. Cunningham is the William G. Barsan Professor of Emergency Medicine (Medical

School) and a professor of health behavior and health education (School of Public Health) at

the University of Michigan. In addition to her work developing and testing behavioral inter-

ventions for youth violence, she is the principal investigator (PI) of the Firearm Safety among

Children and Teens Consortium.

Marc A. Zimmerman is the Marshall H. Becker Professor of Public Health at the University of

Michigan (UM), co-director of the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, and PI of the

CDC-funded Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center. His work focuses on community-

based approaches to positive youth development.

Jessica S. Roche is the managing director for the University of Michigan Insitute for Firearm

Injury Prevention. Her work focuses on developing, evaluating, and translating evidence-based

programs into practice.

Patrick M. Carter is an associate professor of emergency medicine (Medical School) and health

behavior and health education (School of Public Health) at the University of Michigan, co-

director of the UM Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, and director of the CDC-funded

Injury Prevention Center. His work focuses on healthcare-based approaches to reducing risky

firearm behaviors and firearm violence outcomes.

NOTE: The authors wish to acknowledge Carrie Musolf for her assistance in manuscript

preparation. Dr. Rauk’s work on this manuscript was funded by her fellowship funding under

NIH/NICHD Award # 1R24HD08714901A1. The ideas in this report are those of the authors

and do not necessarily represent the official position of the funding agencies. No honoraria,

grants, or other forms of payment were received for producing this article.