funding from Federal agencies, States, local govern-
ments, nonprofit foundations, and the private sector. 
‘‘(g) PROGRAMMATIC EVALUATIONS.—(1) Not later 
than 2 years after the first research project grants or con-
tracts are awarded under this section, the Secretary shall 
enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of 
Public Administration to review the program under this 
section, and recommend improvements. 
‘‘(2) The National Academy of Public Administration 
review shall—
‘‘(A) assess the degree to which the projects 
funded under this section have addressed the re-
search topics identified in the strategy established in 
the Transportation Research Board Special Report 
268, including identifying those topics which have 
not yet been addressed; 
‘‘(B) assess the peer review process for project 
proposals, and assess research project results; and 
‘‘(C) assess the extent of stakeholder involve-
ment in all facets of the program. 
‘‘(h) ANNUAL REPORT.—The organization described 
in subsection (b) shall prepare and transmit to the Sec-
retary an annual report that includes a project summary 
for every project funded under this section. Each summary
shall characterize the project, summarize its status, and 
identify sponsors.’’. 
(2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis 
for chapter 5 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by striking the item related to section 507 
and inserting the following:
‘‘507. Surface transportation environment and planning cooperative research 
program.’’.
SEC. 105. TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT. 
Section 503 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended—
(1) in subsection (a)—
(A) by amending paragraph (7) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(7) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND 
CONTRACTS.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Under the program, 
the Secretary may make grants and enter into 
cooperative agreements and contracts with 
States, metropolitan planning organizations, 
local governments, other Federal agencies, uni-
versities and colleges, private sector entities, 
and nonprofit organizations to foster alliances 
and support efforts to stimulate advances in 
transportation technology, and to pay the Fed-
eral share of the costs of research, development,
and technology transfer concerning innovative 
technologies. 
‘‘(B) APPLICATIONS.—To receive a grant, 
cooperative agreement, or contract, under this 
paragraph, an entity described in subparagraph 
(A) shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary. The application shall be in such form 
and contain such information as the Secretary 
may require. The Secretary shall select and ap-
prove the applications based on the applica-
tions’ merit and on whether the project that is 
the subject of the grant, cooperative agreement, 
or contract meets the goals of the program de-
scribed in paragraph (3).’’; 
(B) in paragraph (8), by inserting ‘‘and 
the Committee on Science’’ after ‘‘Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure’’; 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (9) as 
paragraph (11); and 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (8) the 
following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(9) TECHNOLOGY AND INFORMATION TRANS-
FER.—The Secretary shall ensure that the informa-
tion and technology resulting from research con-
ducted under this subsection is made available to
State and local transportation departments, metro-
politan planning organizations, and other interested 
parties. 
‘‘(10) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of 
the cost of a project under this subsection shall be 
determined by the Secretary.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking ‘‘Bridge Research and Con-
struction’’ and inserting ‘‘Research and Deploy-
ment’’ in the subsection heading; 
(B) by amending paragraphs (1) and (2) 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish and carry out a program to demonstrate the ap-
plication of innovative technology in surface trans-
portation 
infrastructure 
construction 
(such 
as 
bridges, pavements, and other structures) and safe-
ty. 
‘‘(2) GOALS.—The goals of the program shall 
include—
‘‘(A) the development of new, cost-effective 
innovative material for surface transportation 
infrastructure applications; 
‘‘(B) the deployment and evaluation of 
safety technologies and innovations at the State
and local levels, and the deployment of best 
practices in training, management, design, and 
planning; 
‘‘(C) the reduction of life-cycle costs of 
surface transportation infrastructure, including 
the costs of new construction, replacement, 
maintenance, and rehabilitation of deficient 
highway infrastructure; 
‘‘(D) the development and deployment of 
construction techniques to increase safety and 
reduce construction time and traffic congestion; 
‘‘(E) the development of engineering de-
sign criteria for innovative products and mate-
rials for use in surface transportation infra-
structure; 
‘‘(F) the development of cost-effective and 
innovative techniques to separate vehicle and 
pedestrian traffic from railroad traffic; 
‘‘(G) the evaluation and documentation of 
the performance and benefits of innovative tech-
nologies deployed to improve life, performance, 
cost effectiveness, safety, and customer satisfac-
tion;
‘‘(H) the refinement of innovative tech-
nologies based on the evaluation described in 
subparagraph (G); 
‘‘(I) the wide dissemination of information 
developed under subparagraph (G); 
‘‘(J) the development of surface transpor-
tation infrastructure, including alternative proc-
esses for the seismic retrofit of bridges, that 
will withstand natural disasters and terrorist 
attacks; 
‘‘(K) for pavements, the development of 
designs and materials to reduce impacts of 
storm water runoff; 
‘‘(L) 
the 
development 
of 
new 
non-
destructive 
infrastructure 
evaluation 
tech-
nologies and techniques; and 
‘‘(M) effective technology transfer and in-
formation dissemination to accelerate imple-
mentation of innovative technologies.’’; 
(C) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘section’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection’’; and 
(D) by adding at the end the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(c) RESEARCH ON THE NONTECHNICAL BARRIERS 
TO TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT.—In order to support the
deployment goals established under subsection (a)(3), the 
Secretary shall carry out a research program addressing 
the nontechnical barriers to technology deployment, in-
cluding fragmented authority at the local and regional 
level and rigid procurement rules. The goal of this re-
search shall be to generate proposals for how to overcome 
these nontechnical barriers.’’. 
SEC. 106. FUTURE STRATEGIC HIGHWAY RESEARCH PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 5 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
‘‘§ 509. Future Strategic Highway Research Program 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, in consulta-
tion with the American Association of State Highway and 
Transportation Officials, shall enter into an arrangement 
with the National Academy of Sciences for the establish-
ment of a Future Strategic Highway Research Program. 
‘‘(b) GRANTS, COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS, AND 
CONTRACTS.—The Secretary may make grants to, and 
enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with, the 
American Association of State Highway and Transpor-
tation Officials and the National Academy of Sciences to 
carry out activities under this section. Advance payments 
may be made as necessary to carry out the program under
this section. Although no matching funds are required for 
this program, collaborative research projects with multiple 
sources of funding shall be encouraged. 
‘‘(c) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—Funds set aside to 
carry out this section shall remain available for the fiscal 
year for which such funds are made available and the 
three succeeding fiscal years. 
‘‘(d) SET ASIDE.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the Secretary of Transportation for each of fis-
cal years 2005 through 2010, to carry out this section, 
$75,000,000. 
‘‘(e) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—In carrying out 
the program under this section, the National Academy of 
Sciences shall ensure that—
‘‘(1) the selection of projects and researchers 
shall be based on the open solicitation of proposals 
and be reviewed by panels of appropriate experts; 
and 
‘‘(2) State transportation officials and other 
stakeholders, including business, local governments, 
metropolitan planning organizations, environmental 
and community organizations, academia, other rel-
evant Federal agencies, and other members of the 
transportation community are involved in the gov-
ernance of the program at the executive, the overall
program, and the technical levels, through the use of 
expert panels and committees. 
‘‘(f) CONTENTS.—The program established under 
this section shall be based on Transportation Research 
Board Special Report 260, entitled ‘Strategic Highway 
Research: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving 
Quality of Life’. It shall include the following research 
areas: 
‘‘(1) Accelerating the renewal of America’s 
highways. 
‘‘(2) Making a significant improvement in high-
way safety. 
‘‘(3) Providing a highway system with reliable 
travel times. 
‘‘(4) Providing highway capacity in support of 
the Nation’s economic, environmental, multi-modal 
transportation, and social goals. 
‘‘(g) PROJECT EVALUATION.—The products of all re-
search grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts 
awarded under this section shall be subject to peer review. 
‘‘(h) PROGRAMMATIC EVALUATIONS.—Within 2 years 
after the first research project grants, cooperative agree-
ments, or contracts are awarded under this section, the 
Secretary shall enter into an arrangement with the Na-
tional Academy of Public Administration to review the
program under this section, and to recommend improve-
ments. The review shall—
‘‘(1) assess the degree to which projects funded 
under this section have addressed the research topics 
identified in the research agenda established in 
Transportation Research Board Special Report 260, 
including identifying those topics which have not yet 
been addressed; 
‘‘(2) assess the merit and peer review process 
for project proposals, and assess research project re-
sults; and 
‘‘(3) assess the extent of stakeholder involve-
ment in all facets of the program. 
‘‘(i) ANNUAL PROGRESS
AND PERFORMANCE RE-
PORT.—The National Academy of Sciences shall produce 
an annual progress and performance report for the pro-
gram under this section. The report shall summarize the 
status, funding, and sponsors of all funded projects by the 
research areas specified in subsection (f). It shall docu-
ment the progress of each project relative to milestones 
included in the project proposal. The report shall identify 
research areas and projects remaining unfunded, and an-
ticipated funding needs for completing that research. The 
report shall be submitted to the Secretary, to the Com-
mittee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives, 
and to the Committee on Environment and Public Works 
of the Senate.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The analysis of 
chapter 5 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new item:
‘‘509. Future strategic highway research program.’’.
SEC. 107. UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS. 
Section 5505 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘§ 5505. University transportation research 
‘‘(a) REGIONAL CENTERS.—The Secretary of Trans-
portation shall make grants to nonprofit institutions of 
higher learning to establish and operate 1 university 
transportation center in each of the 10 United States Gov-
ernment regions that comprise the Standard Federal Re-
gional Boundary System. 
‘‘(b) OTHER CENTERS.—The Secretary shall make 
grants to nonprofit institutions of higher learning to es-
tablish and operate university transportation centers, in 
addition to the centers receiving grants under subsection 
(a), to address transportation management and research 
and development matters, with special attention to in-
creasing the number of highly skilled individuals entering 
the field of transportation. 
‘‘(c) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—
‘‘(1) APPLICATIONS.—In order to be eligible to 
receive a grant under this section, a nonprofit insti-
tution of higher learning shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application that is in such form and con-
tains such information as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION CRITERIA.—Except as other-
wise provided by this section, the Secretary shall se-
lect each recipient of a grant under this section 
through a competitive, peer-reviewed process on the 
basis of the following: 
‘‘(A) For regional centers, the location of 
the center within the Federal region to be 
served. 
‘‘(B) The demonstrated research and ex-
tension resources available to the recipient to 
carry out this section. 
‘‘(C) The capability of the recipient to pro-
vide leadership in making national and regional 
contributions to the solution of immediate and 
long-range transportation problems. 
‘‘(D) The recipient’s establishment of a 
surface transportation program encompassing 
several modes of transportation. 
‘‘(E) The recipient’s demonstrated commit-
ment of at least $200,000 in regularly budgeted
institutional amounts each year to support on-
going transportation research and education 
programs. 
‘‘(F) The recipient’s demonstrated ability 
to disseminate results of transportation re-
search and education programs through a state-
wide or regionwide continuing education pro-
gram. 
‘‘(G) The strategic plan the recipient pro-
poses to carry out under the grant. 
‘‘(d) OBJECTIVES.—Each university transportation 
center receiving a grant under this section shall conduct 
the following programs and activities: 
‘‘(1) Basic and applied research that supports 
the Department’s research agenda consistent with 
section 508 of title 23, the products of which are 
peer-reviewed by other experts in the field to ad-
vance the body of knowledge in transportation. 
‘‘(2) An education program that includes multi-
disciplinary course work, faculty and student partici-
pation in research, and an opportunity for practical 
experience. 
‘‘(3) An ongoing program of technology transfer 
that makes research results available to potential