YOUR ROLE as the Lead Agency—State 

Department of Transportation (DOT)

A lead agency oversees each 

Transportation Pooled Fund 

(TPF) study.

This role is an exciting opportunity to guide 

and shape national research and innovation 

collaboration efforts. For a State-led TPF 

study, a State DOT serves as the lead 

Submit a request to establish the 

TPF project, including non-Federal 

match waiver requests, to the local 

Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) division office for processing 

and approval.

Confirm the TPF study is eligible to 

use State Planning and Research 

(SPR) funds.

Ensure the study is incorporated into 

and approved as a part of the State’s 

SPR work program. 

Develop and post solicitations on the 

TPF Program website and monitor the 

status of funds committed.(1)

agency, administering the study from start 

to finish. The State DOT submits the project 

request, solicits partner agencies to join and 

contribute, controls and monitors financial 

commitments, provides regular status 

updates, provides final research deliverables, 

and closes out the study.

STATE DOT LEAD AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Develop an acceptance letter to 

acknowledge the State DOT’s lead agency 

status and willingness to accept funding; 

submit the letter to the division administrator 

in thelocal FHWA division office.

Post the TPF study in the Federal 

Management Information System.

Establish a technical advisory committee 

(TAC) and develop a work statement under 

the TAC’s direction.

Track and control all funding, awards, and 

contracts; monitor financial commitments 

from other organizations.
YOUR ROLE

as the Lead Agency—State 

Department of Transportation (DOT)

STATE DOT LEAD AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Write and post the TPF study’s quarterly 

reports to the TPF study web page. 

Ensure the work statement includes 

providing final research deliverables. 

Close out the study once all contract 

requirements, claims, payments, and 

awards are completed.

Publication No.: FHWA-HRT-24-046 

HRTM-10/12-23(WEB)E

REFERENCES

1. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. 

2023. “Transportation Pooled Fund Program Website” 

(website). https://www.pooledfund.org/, last accessed 

September 26, 2023.

2. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. 

2023. “Transportation Pooled Fund—Frequently Used 

Resources” (web page). https://www.pooledfund.

org/Home/FrequentlyUsedResources, last accessed 

September 26, 2023.

3. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. 2023. 

TPF Procedures Manual. Washington, DC: National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

4. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. 

2022. TPF Web User Manual. Washington, DC: National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

5. National Cooperative Highway Research Program. n.d. TPF 

Program—Process Flow Chart. Washington, DC: National 

Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

RESOURCES

The TPF Program’s interactive website is a 

great resource.(1)

 Additionally, the website’s 

Frequently Used Resources page houses all 

the relevant manuals and reference sheets.(2)

Further questions can be answered by the TPF 

program manager.

ABOUT THE TPF PROGRAM

The FHWA’s TPF Program enables public and 

private entities to pool their funds, expertise, 

and resources to conduct high-priority 

research that solves a wide variety of shared 

transportation problems.

LEARN MORE

For more information on the role of the lead 

agency—State DOT, see the TPF Procedures

Manual and the TPF Web User Manual.

(3,4,5)

Send the closeout funding spreadsheet 

to the TPF study’s project manager. 

Help finalize the final report and summary. 

Ensure all project partners receive 

quarterly status reports, project updates, 

and deliverables.

Recommended citation: Federal Highway Administration, Your 

Role as the Lead Agency—State Department of Transportation 

(DOT) (Washington, DC: 2023) https://doi.org/10.21949/1521480