Research Partnership on Climate Change and Transportation
Program Funding
Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.
Program Objective
The Center for Efficiency, Resiliency, and Community Engagement in Transportation research and technology goals: (1) support the transportation sector with innovative approaches and solutions; (2) build and invest in resilient transportation infrastructure, networks, and operations; (3) identify innovative approaches transportation solutions; and (4) otherwise advance understanding transportation needs and solutions to support community engagement and public safety.
Priority research and technology development topics with high potential to serve these goals include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Data and tools to reduce trips and shift trips to climate-friendly vehicles and modes, including shift to electric vehicles, transit, micromobility services, and active transport, combined with integrated transportation and land-use planning, including transit-oriented development, such that people are less dependent on personal vehicles and more likely to walk, bike, or use transit.
• Transformative approaches to understanding, predicting, and addressing via technology, design, behavior, and policy interventions. Methods for better incorporating induced demand into travel demand models. Evidence-based approaches and tools for decision makers for assessing transportation investments, policies, and practices.
• Cutting-edge technologies that have the potential to leverage transportation technology to transform the United States to be a world class leader in transportation innovations in data-driven insights, automation, and integrated system-of-systems.
• Innovative applications of social and behavioral sciences for transportation demand management and other policy interventions that support consumer transportation choices, mode shift, seamless modal connectivity. Research supporting state and local governments considering policy options to realign consumer incentives and disincentives to encourage lower-carbon consumer choices.
• Innovative use of new and emerging sensor technology to support the assessment and early detection of pollutants, helping public agencies reduce climate and environmental impacts and transportation and respond to environmental emergencies, and integration of such analyses into climate and environmental justice policy decisions.
• The development and deployment of methods to assess and reduce the risks to transportation system performance.
• Innovative adaptation strategies and standards for the new resilient transportation networks system in rural and tribal areas elevated transportation corridors, alternate road surfaces improve connectivity and multimodal use.
• Innovative research on policy solutions to tackle challenges around deployment of transportation technologies at the local level, such as research on balancing priorities the need for rapid deployment and adoption to prioritizing community engagement.
• Other innovative approaches and solutions to propel the United States into the next generation of the transportation sector.
Eligibility
Eligible Applicants
- Nonprofit Organization
This competition is open to all eligible parties and their partnering organizations. Eligible parties include, but are not limited to, institutions of higher education, public research entities (e.g., University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), national laboratories, etc.), and private and 501(c)3 nonprofit research entities
How to Apply
Award Procedure
If your organization’s application is selected for award, you will be notified and sent an award document for signature. Applicants not selected for award will be notified in writing by U.S. DOT.
Only the AO can commit the U.S. DOT. The award document, signed by the AO, is the authorizing document. Only the AO can bind the Federal Government to the expenditure of funds.
Notice that an Applicant has been selected as a Recipient does not constitute approval of the application as submitted. Before the actual award, U.S. DOT will enter into negotiations concerning such items as program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems, if necessary. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable submittal, the U.S. DOT reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and decline to fund the Applicant.
Decision Timeline
- Renewal interval: > 180 Days
Program details & compliance
Description
To further, American transportation systems into the technology next generation to engage communities and safe travel for the American public with smarter and cost effective investments.
Investing research and development in new and emerging technologies in the transportation sector, including digitalization, artificial intelligence and machine-learning, integrated multimodal transportation systems, innovative design solutions, and other advances. Research, development, demonstration, and deployment of such technologies are critical for the United States to reach its goal as global leader in transportation sector.
Mission Categories
Primary: Highways, Public Roads, and Bridges
Use of Funds
Allowed Uses
U.S. DOT seeks to fund a climate and transportation research center that advances research to support Administration efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, incorporate evidence-based climate resilience and adaptation measures and features, reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from the project materials, and avoid adverse environmental impacts to air or water quality, wetlands, and endangered species, and address the disproportionate negative environmental impacts of transportation on disadvantaged communities, consistent with Executive Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (86 FR 7619).” Further, U.S. DOT seeks to fund a climate and transportation research center that will advance research to support Administration efforts to create proportional impacts to all populations in a project area, remove transportation related disparities to all populations in a project area, and increase equitable access to project benefits, consistent with Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (86 FR 7009
Required Documentation
A formal written response to the application outlining in detail how the institution proposed
research topic advances the goals identified in the Department's Strategic Plan, the program
mission outlined in the soliciation; as well as the institution's proposed management of the
center; detailed delineation of organization, staff, faculty, and budget. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
Matching Requirements
Cost sharing or matching is required.
The Federal Share of the cost of activities carried out by the climate and transportation research center is based on a 2 to 1 cost share ratio (2 Federal to 1 Non-federal match). Applicants must include evidence of their ability to match the Federal Share at this level. Program income must be handled in accordance with Section F.
Reporting & Compliance
Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts
- Subpart B — General Provisions
- Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
- Subpart E — Cost Principles
- Subpart F — Audit Requirements