The University of Iowa will put to use a $7.03 million grant it received from the U.S. Department of Transportation to test how automated driving systems safely can be introduced on the state’s roads.

The university was among eight educational institutions and government entities to receive a combined $60 million, with a focus on gathering safety data that can inform rule making on driverless technologies, the DOT announced Wednesday.

The DOT will “test the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security and privacy are addressed,” DOT Secretary Elaine Chao said.

The $7.03 million grant will go toward UI’s Automated Driving Systems for the Rural America project, a two-and-half-year initiative to produce public data using a custom, mobility-friendly vehicle with advanced technologies.

Read the full article on the Cedar Rapids Gazette website.