The Department of Transportation unveiled its five-year research, development and technology strategic plan, which includes $5 billion in funding for research activities from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The plan builds on DOT’s 2022 Innovation Principles and aligns with the agency’s vision of providing safe, sustainable and equitable movement of goods and people, the agency said.
DOT will allocate $500 million to the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation program, which focuses on smart city innovations such as vehicles with bi-directional communications and smart technology traffic signals.
An annual funding of $50 million will be dedicated to a new Open Research Initiative to finance unsolicited proposals for disruptive and high-impact technologies.
The RD&T strategic plan also details investments in university transportation centers that prioritize climate change and equality. Minority-serving institutions, such as historically black colleges and universities, will be involved in the initiatives.
“In this time of rapid change and experimentation, research must drive the learning necessary for the public sector to keep pace with technological advancement and to adapt to evolving socio-economic needs,” said Robert Hampshire, DOT chief science officer and deputy assistant secretary for research and technology. “By providing a vision for a future transportation system made possible by research, we seek to foster collaborative innovation to create a better transportation future for all.”
