FHWA Excellence in Right-of-Way Awards

WHAT is the Excellence in Right of Way Awards Program?

This award program is an initiative which provides an opportunity to participate in the recognition of our partners within the right of way discipline. This biennial awards program recognizes outstanding innovations that enhance the right of way professionals' abilities to meet the challenges associated with acquiring real property for Federal-aid projects.

Has your agency recently completed an outstanding transportation project that you feel is worthy of national recognition?
Do you know of an innovative right of way initiative recently completed or in progress that you think should be celebrated?

WHO is eligible to enter?

We accept nominations for any project, process, group, or individual involved in a project or process, and has used FHWA funding to go beyond regulatory compliance and achieve right-of-way excellence. Any organization, agency, group, or individual in the public or private sectors may submit a nomination for the Excellence in Right of Way Awards. Winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges having varying backgrounds, disciplines, and expertise relating to the Realty industry.

WHEN are the entries due?

The Office of Real Estate Services (HEPR) announced the 2019 winners in May of 2019. Nominations for the next round of Excellence in Right of Way Awards will be accepted after the submission period is announced in late 2021.

WHERE will the awards be presented?

FHWA will hold an awards ceremony to recognize award recipients' accomplishments at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official's (AASHTO) Right of Way, Utilities, and Outdoor Advertising Control annual meeting, or at an alternate location.

HOW should entries be submitted?

When the call for nominations is occurs, download this form (right-click link, then choose "save link as" or "save target as"), complete and save the form, then email it to ROWExcellenceAwards@dot.gov. Do not attempt to fill in the form before downloading it.

If the electronic submittal of entries is not possible, faxed and mailed copies are acceptable. For more information about the submission of entries via hard copy, please contact ROWExcellenceAwards@dot.gov. Please ensure that you describe measurable outcomes and results as to how the nomination or nominations meet one or more criteria listed under the category. Where possible, please describe how the project, process, or organization resulted in improved realty outcomes, time or cost savings, or improved efficiencies in processes or other benefits.

Keep in mind the following when applying:

Entries should fall into one of the categories listed.
Entries should address as many of the listed criteria as possible in their category.
Each entry must include a completed application form, which includes a summary of the outstanding accomplishments of the nominated project, process, person, or group. If submitting a faxed or mailed entry, summaries must not exceed two (2) typewritten pages, and the font size must be no smaller than 10 point.
Nominations must include at least two (2) professional quality color images showing the associated project or person(s) nominated.
Nominations may be submitted in up to three (3) categories.
FHWA reserves the right to reassign an entry's selected category if it is deemed to fit a different category per the judges' review.
All materials submitted become the property of the U.S. Department of Transportation and may be used by the Department for its purposes. No entry materials will be returned.

Feedback, suggestions, or comments can be directed to ROWExcellenceAwards@dot.gov.

This collection of information is voluntary, and will be used to support the FHWA Excellence in Right of Way Awards Program, which recognizes outstanding initiatives and partnerships across the United States that incorporate environmental stewardship into the planning and project development processes using FHWA funding sources. Public reporting burden is estimated to average eight (8) hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Please note that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 201307-2125-001. This collection is valid until 1/31/2021. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to: Information Collection Clearance Officer, Federal Highway Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.