Traumatic injury is now a major burden on the health of the Guatemalan people. Interpersonal violence is the second leading cause of Disability-adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in Guatemala, and homicide, suicide, conflict and unintentional injuries account for an estimated 900 thousand years of life lost due to premature mortality. There is a need to understand the impact of trauma in Guatemala and to create targeted health policy initiatives to relieve this burden on the health of the country. The INjury Support Initiative for Guatemala Trauma (INSIGHT) project will establish an international collaboration between the University of Pittsburgh and the Strategic Planning unit of the Hospital San Juan de Dios (HSJDD) in Guatemala under the sponsorship of Meditech/Guatemala, creating a dynamic, self-sustainable Trauma Information System for the two main trauma care hospitals in Guatemala City. INSIGHT will be a multidisciplinary support team combining real-time technological assistance with education on research methodologies and the development of health policy initiatives. This group will lay the foundation for comprehensive trauma research, guiding the creation of improvement strategies targeted to the health needs of Guatemala. This study will contribute to national and global injury research initiatives aiming at the implementation an epitome trauma systems network for the future of this region.