# Presentation: 668017

## 
TRB Annual Meeting
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Session 505 

*TRB Annual Meeting*
*Tuesday, January 24, 2006*
*Session 505 *

**FHWA Commitment and Corporate Objectives for Advanced Research**

## 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**

## 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

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

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

**FHWA R&T Focus Areas**

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

## A Strategic Approach

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

## Advanced Research in Context

## 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.”

- “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.”*

## 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. 

- “CableScan” is a commercially available service resulting from this study, which originated out of FHWA’s advanced research program.

**Advanced research project leads to licensed technology**

## Authorized Funding for RT&E Programs

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

| 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 |

## SAFETEA-LU Funding for Exploratory Advanced Research 

- $14 Million for each of fiscal years
- 2005 - 2009

## 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

## SAFETEA-LU Research Areas

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

## Where do we go from here?

**Where do we go from here?**

- SAFETEA-LU

- Think Tank Recommendations

- R&T Leadership Team & Roadmaps

- RTCC Recommendations

## 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