RITA | RDT | Research Planning and Coordination

Research Planning and Coordination

The Research Planning and Coordination program coordinates, facilitates, and reviews DOT’s research and development activities. The program was established to ensure that DOT is making the most of its $1 billion annual investment in research and technology. The program fosters collaboration in research activities within DOT, across the Federal government, and with partners in state and local transportation agencies, not-for-profit institutions, academia, and industry.

RDT Planning Council

The Council ensures crossmodal collaboration and coordination in research being done with DOT and with its partners. Some of the functions performed by the Council are:

advising the Secretary of Transportation on research issues
maintaining dialogue with research stakeholders
upholding the highest standards for quality, transparency, and ethical conduct

The Council members are

the DOT Under Secretary for Policy;
the Assistant Secretaries for Transportation Policy, Budget and Programs/CFO, and Aviation and International Affairs;
the Administrators of the Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Maritime Administration, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation;
the Chief Information Officer;
the Director of the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response; and
the Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.

RDT Planning Team

The Team supports the Council by:

reviewing and coordinating across the Department research plans and budgets to identify opportunities and gaps and to prevent duplication
periodically assessing DOT research programs for relevance and quality
promoting best practices in research performance and technology transfer.

DOT Research Clusters

The formation of the Department of Transportation's (DOT) research clusters is an effort to promote information sharing among the hundreds of DOT -funded researchers within DOT headquarters and across the nation. DOT spends $1.2B annually on research, development and technology activities.

Identified by DOT's RD&T Planning Team, comprised of each mode's senior research professional, clusters:

Define a set of common areas of scientific research that cut across modes and support DOT strategic goals
Provide a nexus around which DOT-funded researchers including University Transportation Centers connect to share ideas, project pursuits, issues and lessons learned about a specific research topic(s)
Provide points of interest for consultation, connection, facilitation, coordination and collaboration on research activities
Are dynamic, flexible clusters in order to meet current and evolving research needs in the context of the Departmental Strategic Plan and its RD&T Strategic Plan

The cluster areas include:

Infrastructure & Materials - promotes cross-modal awareness of issues, topics and innovations affecting modes of transport and the conveyances that operates over them (TRIS Search Results)

Human Factors - focuses on the human interactions with infrastructure and conveyances that operates over them (TRIS Search Results)

Energy Sustainability - supports activities to develop and deploy next generation fuels as well as promote conservation and other innovations (TRIS Search Results)

Risk-Based Analysis to Address Safety Issues - shares cross-modal activities and advances to improve the safety of the nation's transportation systems (TRIS Search Results)

Data Driven Decision Making - shares cross-modal activities and advances to improve the information used for policy, regulatory and other federal transportation activities (TRIS Search Results)

Multimodal Intelligent Transportation Systems - focuses on enabling safe, interoperable wireless connectivity between vehicles , conveyances, infrastructure and passengers' devices to support safety, mobility and environmental enhancements (TRIS Search Results)

Livability - supports awareness and cooperation to increase choices for transportation users, provide affordable access to employment centers and other destinations, and enhance economic opportunities and quality of life for all Americans (TRIS Search Results)

Modeling and Simulation - supports awareness and cooperation on current data technologies to project future needs and trends as well as address emerging issues (TRIS Search Results)

Positioning, Navigation & Timing - promotes the research that best supports DOT as it leads the federal civilian agency efforts and cooperates with DoD on these important support services to GPS and similar technologies (TRIS Search Results)

Transportation Implication For an Aging Population and Those with Special Needs - addresses the research needs, issues and topics affecting these population segments (TRIS Search Results)

System Resilience and Global Logistics - focuses on recovery from natural and other disasters as well as freight issues and concerns (TRIS Search Results)

Policy Analysis - shares cross-modal activities and advances to improve the information used for policy, regulatory and other federal transportation activities (TRIS Search Results)

Travel Behavior - promotes cross-modal awareness of issues, topics and innovations affecting how people choose their travel and travel patterns (TRIS Search Results)

Economics - promotes the research technologies and information sources that best help the Department in addressing lifecycle and other key transportation economics issues and topics (TRIS Search Results)

Federal Register Notice

US Department of Transportation Public Input on RD&T Strategic Planning Process

USDOT is engaging in a strategic planning effort that will guide the Department's research, development, and technology activities as required by SAFETEA-LU. The deadline for input was February 8, 2010, and an array of comments were received: http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#docketDetail?R=RITA-2009-0005