The Impact of Scientific Partnerships on the Future of Transportation
Federal support of innovative research
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February 15, 2009
Workshop Outline
Objectives
- Communicate big issues in highway research
- Name who conducts highway research
- Describe the FHWA Exploratory Advanced Research Program (EAR)
- Illustrate research partnerships lessons
- Assess future opportunities in highway research
Big Research Issues
- Breakthrough concept for integrating highway safety and system operations
- Nanoscale research
- Massive scale systems
- Human behavior in traffic
- Financing highways for the next century
- New yechnologies and advanced policies for energy and resource conservation
Who Conducts Highway Research?
- FHWA
- University Transportation Centers
- State Departments of Transportation
- Industry
- International
EAR Key Process
- Focus on high-risk, high payoff research
- Research stakeholders are involved throughout
- From scoping of focus areas through communication of research results
- Merit review is used to enhance the quality of research processes and results
- All projects begin with initial stage research (e.g. scanning, literature review, etc.)
- Assure leverage of the most recent, relevant and advanced research from all fields
- Not all initial stage research leads to (or is expected to lead to) follow-on or actionable results
Current Partnerships
- Academic
- University Transportation Centers, other universities
- Government
- Other Federal Agencies, State, Local
- Non-Governmental, Non-Profit
- Industry
Forming Partnerships
- Competitive advantage
- Expertise
- New ideas
- Leverage resources, risk
- Potential obstacles
- Gaining agreements
- Partner viability
- Project management and coordination
Managing Partnerships
- Competitive advantage
- Flexibility and depth
- Awareness and outreach
- Potential obstacles
- Project management and coordination
- Accountability
Continuing Partnerships
- Competitive advantage
- Knowledge capacity building
- Implementation across sectors
- Potential obstacles
- Rights and ownerships
- Bringing in new partners
- Research results’ hand-off
Future Opportunities with FHWA EAR
- Agenda scoping
- Open competitions
- Short and longer-term work exchanges
- Serving as expert reviewers
Thank You
David Kuehn
Program Manager
(202) 493-3414 david.kuehn@dot.gov
Terry Halkyard
Program Coordinator
(202) 493-3467 terry.halkyard@dot.gov
Samyra Simmons
Program Analyst
(202) 493-3469 samyra.simmons@dot.gov
Program Web Site www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch