PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this program is to fund novel and exciting ideas from faculty in the area of transportation. The projects funded should seek to promote excellent and innovative research projects on transportation problems relevant to U.S. DOT’s Region II. The funded projects should likely make important and valuable contributions to technology in the transportation field.

THE PROGRAM

UTRC Advanced Technology Initiative is a competitive matching grant program for faculty-initiated projects that demonstrate or foster the implementation of new technologies in the transportation field. Proposals are evaluated by faculty at other University Transportation Centers outside Region II, as well as by UTRC's partner agencies within the region, and awarded on a competitive basis.

The objectives of the UTRC Research Initiative are to:

• Promote high-quality research on the development, demonstration, or implementation of advanced technologies in the transportation field.
• Promote collaboration between traditional fields of transportation expertise (e.g. civil engineering and urban planning) and academic research centers in advanced technologies (e.g. nanotechnology, photonics, wireless communication technologies).
• Encourage partnerships among universities, public agencies, and the private sector.
• Provide practical and workable contributions and solutions to the region’s transportation community.
• Further the education of transportation students by involving them in scholarly research.
• Encourage faculty in the UTRC consortium to compete for research funds.

The grant is designed to initiate and promote research; it is not renewable at the end of the one year. However, based on their accomplishments and the promise of the research, UTRC may consider grantees for follow-up funding after the first year. No follow-up grants are guaranteed.

WHO MAY APPLY

Applications may be made by regularly appointed full-time faculty members at UTRC member academic institutions. Previous recipients of these grants are eligible to apply if they have completed the research project sponsored by their previous grant.

HOW TO APPLY

Prepare a proposal according to the UTRC’s proposal guidelines available UTRC Online Submission System.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

The 2010-11 program is currently opened. Abstracts are due by April 9, 2010, and final proposals are due by April 30, 2010. Click here to download the 2010-11 application instructions.

DEADLINES

The deadlines may vary every year. Please consult the UTRC Request For Proposals section on the UTRC website for the current-year details.

SELECTION PROCESS

None of the applicants will have an inside track towards selection. Proposals will be reviewed by peers and selected for funding by a committee from UTRC and local transportation agencies. Some of the important criteria for selection will be:

• Uniqueness of the concept proposed
• Relevance to the UTRC’s theme and USDOT goals and projected competitiveness of anticipated results
• Application potential 5 to 10 years

Please Note: A review may be provided for those submissions which do not ultimately win a grant award upon request.

CONTACT

For more information, please contact:
Ellen Thorson
UTRC – 910 Marshak Hall
City College of New York
New York, NY 10031
ethor@utrc2.org