FHWA Commitment and Corporate Objectives for Advanced Research

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FHWA Mission

Enhanced Mobility through Innovation, Leadership, and Public Service

…and Roles

• Leaders for National Mobility
• Stewards for National Highway Programs
• Innovators for a Better Future

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Scope of FHWA Role in R&T

• Conducting research
• Supporting research by:
  • State DOT’s Universities
  • Private industry
  • Stimulating development and innovation
  • Facilitating technology transfer and deployment
  • Educating the transportation professional of the future

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FHWA R&T Focus Areas

R&T in FHWA covers the entire innovation process, including research, development, innovation deployment, education, and training.

 

• Safety
• Infrastructure
• Transportation System Management and Operations
• Planning/Environment/Real Estate Services
• Policy
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

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A Strategic Approach

FHWA Commitment recognizes the need to focus on high-risk research with high payoff potential.

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Advanced Research defined:

"Research that involves and draws upon basic research results to provide a better understanding of phenomena and develop innovative solutions. Sometimes referred to as exploratory research in order to convey its more fundamental character, its broader objectives, and the greater uncertainty in expected outcomes compared to problem-solving research."

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Advanced research project leads to licensed technology

• Southwest Research Institute developed a nondestructive inspection system using magnetostrictive sensing (MsS)
• “CableScan” is a commercially available service resulting from this study, which originated out of FHWA’s advanced research program.

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Authorized Funding for RT&E Programs

Program	FY-2005	FY-2006	FY-2007	FY-2008	FY-2009
Surface Transportation Research, Development and Deployment	$196.4M (+$42.6M)	$196.4M	$196.4M	$196.4M	$196.4M
Training and Education	$26.7M (+$7.2M)	$26.7M	$26.7M	$26.7M	$26.7M
Bureau of Transportation Statistics	$27M (-$4.5M)	$27M	$27M	$27M	$27M
University Transportation Research	$69.7M (+$44.8M)	$69.7M	$69.7M	$69.7M	$69.7M
Intelligent Transportation Systems Research	$110M (+$6.6M)	$110M	$110M	$110M	$110M
Total	$429.8M	$429.8M	$429.8M	$429.8M	$429.8M

 

Note: ITS Deployment receives $122 million under SAFETEA-LU, but only in FY 2005.

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SAFETEA-LU Funding for Exploratory Advanced Research

$14 Million for each of fiscal years 2005 - 2009

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SAFETEA-LU Program Guidelines

• Consistent with surface transportation research and technology strategic plan
• Address long-term, higher-risk research with potentially dramatic breakthroughs
• Strive to develop public and private partnerships

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SAFETEA-LU Research Areas

1. Characterization of materials used in highway infrastructure.
2. Assessment of the effects of transportation decisions on human health.
3. Development of surrogate measures of safety.
4. Environmental research.
5. Data acquisition techniques for system condition and performance monitoring.
6. System performance data and information processing.

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Where do we go from here?

SAFETEA-LU		Think Tank Recommendations
R&T Leadership Team & Roadmaps		RTCC Recommendations

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Program Delivery

• UTC Program – Universities address identified Adv. Research focus areas
• NSF - $1.5M leveraged w/ $1.5M match (joint research, NSF-managed)
  • Facilitate TFHRC/University partnerships (principal investigator with lab manager)
• TRB IDEA Program for AR

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This page last modified on 07/22/08