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This Directive was canceled January 26, 2001.

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U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration

FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION OF
THE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

6000.3
July 28, 1995

Par.

  1. Purpose

  2. Cancellation

  3. Scope

  4. Objective

  5. Research and Technology Executive Board

  6. Research and Technology Coordinating Groups

  7. Associate Administrators

  8. Annual Procurement Plan

  9. Research and Technology Coordinating Committee

  1. PURPOSE. To establish the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) process and procedures for planning and developing Research and Technology (R&T) programs, budgets, and acquisition plans that are coordinated, cost-effective, and technically sound.

  2. CANCELLATION. FHWA Order 6000.2, Research, Development, and Technology Advisory Councils, dated January 31, 1983, is canceled.

  3. SCOPE. This order applies to all FHWA R&T Program activities. This order does not apply to the State Planning and Research Pooled-Fund activities.

  4. OBJECTIVE. To ensure FHWA's R&T programs help resolve issues or problems of national interest, achieve the U.S. Department of Transportation's and FHWA's strategic goals, reflect the input of the broader highway transportation community, and produce measurable results or outcomes.

  5. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE BOARD (RTEB). The RTEB shall be chaired by the Executive Director. The RTEB membership shall include the Chairperson, FHWA Associate Administrators, the Director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office, and one Regional Administrator who shall be appointed by the Chairperson.

    1. The RTEB shall use the R&T program budget submission (the R&T portion ofFHWA's annual budget submission including other funding sources, particularly funding available through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, P.L. 102-230, or subsequent reauthorizations) as its base working document. The program budget includes information on program goals (for safety, structures, pavements, policy, environment, motor carriers, etc.), anticipated accomplishments for the current fiscal year, anticipated products and milestones for the upcoming fiscal year, and new major initiatives for the fiscal year of the program budget.

    2. The RTEB shall meet periodically to provide policy direction for the R&T program, reach agreement on R&T program priorities and the allocation of funds available to FHWA for the R&T program, and review FHWA's progress in meeting goals, accomplishments, priorities and milestones for the R&T program.

        (1) Winter Meeting (January or February): The RTCG chairpersons will make brief presentations providing an overview of program goals, anticipated accomplishments (for current and upcoming fiscal years), and priorities (upcoming fiscal years). Particular emphasis will be placed on R&T program priorities that will drive the preparation of the next program budget and how these priorities support FHWA's strategic plan. The RTEB will use this meeting as an opportunity to provide direction on priorities to the RTCG chairpersons for developing the next program budget.

        (2) Spring Meeting (March or April): The RTCG chairpersons will present their draft program budget and discuss how they addressed the RTEB comments and direction provided at the winter meeting. Each RTCG should indicate where they anticipate relying on other funding sources to support their R&T initiatives, particularly funding available through the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (P.L. 102-230) or subsequent authorizations. Any RTEB comments will be reflected in the final R&T program budget submitted to Office of Fiscal Services in late April to be included in FHWA's budget, and eventually submitted as part of the President's budget to Congress early the next calendar year.

        (3) Fall Meeting (October or November): The RTCG chairpersons will present (a) accomplishments and products for the fiscal year just completed, (b) adjustments in plans or priorities for the new year in view of FHWA's strategic plan and Congressional appropriations, including any mandated studies or earmarked funds, and (c) implications for plans for the next fiscal year. The RTEB will agree on any adjustment in program priorities and agree on the allocation of R&T funds appropriated or otherwise available for the new fiscal year.

    3. The RTEB will hold additional meetings as determined by the Chairperson.

    4. The RTEB will serve as the Editorial Board for Public Roads Magazine. The Board will provide guidance in the area of Editorial Policy.

    5. The Associate Administrator for Research and Development will provide secretariat services for the RTEB.

  6. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY COORDINATING GROUPS (RTCG's). Each RTCG shall be chaired by an office director or a division chief. Group members may be any level of FHWA staff or managers. The RTCG chairperson will have the discretion to form subgroups or working groups which may include other Departmental employees. All costs for participation in meetings and activities shall be borne by the member's office. The RTCG's shall be established and maintained in the following research and technology areas: Safety; Pavements; Structures; Policy, Information Management, Planning, Environment, and Right-of-Way; Motor Carriers; Intelligent Transportation Systems; and International. Membership and composition of the seven RTCG's shall be as shown in the Attachment to this Order. Each person, or their designee, shall be a voting member.

    1. Identify Problems and Research Voids. The RTCG's will identify transportation problems or issues which research and technology can help resolve and determine FHWA's role in resolving the problem or issue.

    2. Formulate Strategies and Goals. The RTCG's will develop strategies for FHWA to develop and deliver research and technology solutions to help resolve the transportation problems. The RTCG's will formulate goals and identify quantifiable indicators which will capture the results of implementing the advances.

    3. Products, Milestones and Anticipated Accomplishments. The RTCG's will identify products, practices or services that will be developed and provided, the major milestones for their development, and the anticipated completion date.

    4. Major New Initiatives. The RTCG's will identify major new initiatives that will be undertaken to develop related products, practices or services. The RTCG's will develop recommended priorities for the R&T program budget and planning purposes.

    5. The R&T Program Budget. The RTCG's will develop their portion of the R&T program budget including information on goals, product and milestones, anticipated accomplishments and major new initiatives. Each RTCG will have the latitude to frame its portion of the R&T program budget in a manner that best reflects the transportation problems it is intending to resolve. The RTCG may group its goals, products and milestones by high priority area, program concepts or emphasis, goals or objectives from the strategic plan or unit plan, or other groupings of priorities.

  7. ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATORS. Associate Administrators shall serve on the RTEB and be responsible for executing the R&T program budget and carrying out R&T initiatives consistent with the priorities of the RTEB. Each Associate Administrator shall, where appropriate:

    1. finalize the R&T program budget and the allocation of funds available to FHWA for the R&T program, using comments from the RTCG's and guidance provided by the Executive Director;

    2. prepare procurement plans and requests for studies in cooperation with the RTCG's or other Associate Administrators; and

    3. carry out the program in cooperation with program offices, field offices and other Headquarters offices, as appropriate.

  8. ANNUAL PROCUREMENT PLAN. Each year the modal administrations must submit Annual Procurement Plans (APP) to the Office of the Secretary (OST) in accordance with DOT Order 4200.16A, Advanced Acquistion Planning and Annual Procurement Plans, dated September 6, 1989. The R&T programs are included as part of the APP. The responsibility for preparing FHWA's APP rests with the Office of Contracts and Procurement.

  9. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY COORDINATING COMMITTEE.

    1. The RTCC has been established under FHWA's Correlation Services contract with the Transportation Research Board (TRB). It will perform functions such as the following:

        (1) Provide a source of national and international expertise to focus on critical national agenda items upon which the FHWA could draw in formulating and delivering its Research and Technology Program.

        (2) Provide a mechanism for considering the views of research bodies, highway users, suppliers, and contractors, along with economic, social, energy, and environmental concerns, as these issues relate to highway transportation research and technology policy and programs.

        (3) Address issues related to the implementation of research results and the application of technology in the highway transportation field.

        (4) Consider ways and means to increase State, local, and private sector participation in highway transportation research and innovation.

        (5) Identify areas of overlap and duplication and areas needing increased or decreased emphasis, considering prospective progress, costs, and program needs.

    2. To carry out these functions, the committee will meet three times a year, spring, summer and fall. At the spring meeting, the committee will spend most of its time responding to FHWA program plans. The FHWA will update the committee on the upcoming R&T program and on the budget which will have recently been submitted to Congress. At the summer meeting, the Committee will divide its time between reactive and proactive activities. In the fall, the meeting will be devoted primarily to proactive, committee initiated activities such as staff reports, guest presentations, and discussions of topics selected by the committee for further investigation.

    3. Funds for these meetings are provided by the FHWA under the contract with TRB. The Committee will meet as required with FHWA staff charged with highway research, technology, and other activities, and when appropriate, with representatives of other State, Federal, academic, industry, or other organizations that are engaged in highway or related research activities. The Committee will issue periodic letter reports to FHWA.

Rodney E. Slater
Administrator

Attachment

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY COORDINATING GROUPS

Safety

Chair - Director, Office of Highway Safety

offices represented:

Office of Safety and Traffic Operations R&D

National Highway Institute

Office of Traffic Management and ITS Applications

Office of Engineering

Office of Motor Carrier Research and Standards

Office of Motor Carrier Safety and Technology

Office of Technology Applications

Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office

FHWA Field

Pavements

Chair - Chief, Pavement Division, Office of Engineering (Chairperson, designated in FHWA Order 5080.3, Pavement Management Coordination, dated April 13, 1992)

offices represented:

Office of Environment and Planning

Office of Engineering R&D

Office of Technology Applications

Office of Policy Development

Office of Highway Information Management

Office of Motor Carrier Information Analysis

National Highway Institute

FHWA Field

Structures

Chair - Chief, Bridge Division, Office of Engineering

offices represented:

Office of Engineering and Highway Operations R&D

National Highway Institute

Office of Technology Applications

FHWA Field

Policy, Information

Chair - Director, Office of Highway Information Management*

Management, Planning, Environment, and Right-of-Way

offices represented:

Office of Policy Development*

Office of Environment and Planning*

Office of Right-of-Way*

National Highway Institute

Office of Technology Applications

Office of Motor Carrier Research and Standards

Office of Motor Carrier Information Analysis

FHWA Field

*note: chair rotates among these four offices.

Motor Carriers

Chair - Director, Office of Motor Carrier Research and Standards

offices represented:

Office of Motor Carrier Information Management and Analysis

Office of Policy Development

Office of Safety and Traffic Operations R&D

Office of Technology Applications

National Highway Institute

Office of Highway Safety

Office of Engineering

Office of Highway Information Management

FHWA Field

ITS Planning and Oversight:

Chair - Director, Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office

offices represented:

Motor Carrier Safety and Technology

Office of Traffic Management and ITS Applications

Office of Highway Safety

Office of Safety and Traffic Operations Research and Development

Federal Railroad Administration, Office of Research and Development

Federal Transit Administration, Office of Training, Research and Rural Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Crash Avoidance Research

FHWA Field

International

Chair - Associate Administrator for Policy

offices represented:

Associate Administrator for Program Development

Associate Administrator for Safety and System Applications

Associate Administrator for Motor Carriers

Associate Administrator for Research and Development

Federal Lands Highway Program Administrator

Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office

FHWA Field

Note: RTCG's also may include members from other FHWA offices and other DOT employees at the discretion of the RTCG chair or the Associate Administrator.

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