Closed February 21, 2003
Projects Selected for Funding:
Matrix of All Proposals Received (pdf)
Important information for all researchers
The Midwest Regional University Transportation Center (MRUTC) is soliciting
the research community within USDOT Region 5 for proposals that reflect
the focus and vision of the MRUTC.
Proposals must combine the concepts of asset management and optimization
analyses that may be directly applied toward transportation decision-making
processes.
The Center’s focus and theme is:
Optimization of Transportation Investment and Operations,
emphasizing education, research, and technology transfer of asset optimization
and management techniques for transportation facilities.
In accordance with the MRUTC’s Strategic Plan, broad research areas of
interest include: Education, System Management & Monitoring, Valuation
and Investment, and Multi-modal Systems. Proposals will be accepted in
any of these broad categories. A detailed discussion follows:
1) Education:
This area focuses on establishing standardized courses in asset management
for engineering students at the under-graduate level. During the 4th National
Asset Management Workshop, meeting participants indicated that there is
a need to develop a standardized transportation asset management course
for undergraduate students. Development of such a course would help to
ensure that students are prepared to work in the changing environment
currently facing engineers. Nearly all agreed that students in engineering
need to develop an understanding that while the design of a facility is
important, the maintenance and preservation needs are equally important.
The future vision for development of engineering and policy professionals
is that undergraduate programs include course offerings that make students
aware of infrastructure asset management issues.
2) System Management and Monitoring:
This area focuses on establishing the framework within which agencies
are able to optimize system preservation and operations investments by
moving beyond “stovepipe” mentalities and integrating all information
from modal asset inventories across operational functions; such as planning,
design, construction, and operations to meet multiple system objectives
(service, conditions, safety, cost, social-economic, and emergency considerations).
Safety and Congestion as they relate to asset management are two important
themes that are of particular interest to the MRUTC Advisory Committee
Members.
3) Valuation and Investment:
Research in this area will focus on achieving two goals. First, research
efforts need to include the development of an analytical framework and
integrated measurement system that identifies, quantifies and monitors
system performance not only in terms of structural and functional compliance
with design expectations, but also in terms of compliance with customer
expectations.
Second, efforts in this area will develop procedures to accurately measure
of the costs (past and future) of establishing, maintaining and improving
transportation systems in such a way that they continue to meet customer
needs. This could also include the development of procedures to quantify
benefits to the customers, as well as measure costs.
4) Multi-modal Systems:
Multi-modal system planning and programming addresses the tradeoffs decision-making
processes between modes, long-term investment strategies, and financial
considerations in transportation investment, sequencing modal projects,
and reconciling operational conflicts between modes.
Key areas include developing system level methodologies for improved decision-making
processes relative to:
• Determining optimized investments for vehicle and non-vehicle users;
• Determining and assessing system-level impact analyses and/or assessments
on the environment, individual communities, as well as low-income and
minority groups; and?
• Identifying and evaluating potential secondary land use impacts at the
system-plan, regional, and corridor levels.
(Please note, this Call for Requests for Proposals is intentionally broad
to encourage a wider submission of proposals than may be allowed for under
the MRUTC’s existing RFPs.)
Deadline and Mailing Information:
Research proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Friday, February
21, 2003.
Mailing Address:
10 hard copies of all research proposals and one
electronic copy must be submitted to:
Research Manager
Midwest Regional University Transportation Center
Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Questions regarding this General Call for Proposals may be directed to Jason Bittner, Program Manager at 608/262-7246, bittner@engr.wisc.edu.
Criteria for Consideration
Researchers should review ongoing projects and the current body of
knowledge in the field of Transportation Asset Management and reflect
this understanding in their proposals. Duplicative research projects
will not be awarded. Current projects of the MRUTC are available on the
website: http://www.mrutc.org.
Partnerships are Encouraged - Priority will be given
to research proposals submitted by universities in partnership with state
departments of transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, and/or
private industry.
Matching Funds - Budget estimates must include identification
of all matching fund sources. While matching funds are not required on
a dollar for dollar basis, matching funds are strongly encouraged. Proposals
including supporting funds will be given higher priority than proposals
with only in-kind or soft match dollars. Hard match dollar sources may
include partnerships with State transportation agencies, other public
sector agencies, and/or private sector interests.
Educational Focus - Proposals should reflect strong consideration
for educational missions of academic institutions. Private research institutes
will not be permitted to submit proposals except in partnerships with
academic institutions.
Proposals will be submitted for review to peers at other University Transportation
Centers and other State Departments of Transportation. At least two peer
reviews on each project proposal will be conducted.
Proposal
Format and Organization
Proposals may not exceed 10 pages in length, and should include a detailed
description of the following:
1. Cover Page with project title; name and address of the performing organization;
the name, title and mailing address of the principal investigator; and
date of proposal submission.
2. Problem Statement
3. Research Objectives
4. Qualifications, Accomplishments and Other Commitments of the Research
Team
5. Equipment and/or Facilities
6. Time Requirements to Complete the Research
7. Proposed Budget with Description of Matching Funds
Budget Description
Provide a summary tabulation indicating staffing plans, and estimated
person-hours specific to each operational phase. Budget estimates should
include salaries, overhead, indirect costs, travel, computer time, equipment
(purchase and/or rental), expendable materials and supplies, report printing,
special services (as applicable), and other related budgetary expenses.
Matching Funding
Budget estimates must also include identification of all matching fund
sources. Proposals submitted to the MRUTC that include hard match dollars
will be given higher priority than proposals with soft match dollars.
As a result, the MRUTC encourages researchers to partner with their State
transportation agencies, other public sector agencies, and/or private
sector interests.
8. Descriptions of Cooperative Features and/or Partnerships (if applicable)
Letters of support must be included from each team member, if multiple
institutions and researchers are involved.
9. Reports and other Deliverables (if applicable)
10. Appendices
Other Information
Researchers will be required to meet twice with the Advisory Committee
sponsoring this research or MRUTC Staff. In practice, these meeting have
been conducted by teleconference. A preliminary report on the status of
the project will be due three months after the start of the project. Brief
quarterly reports will also be required, electronic submittal is acceptable.
One hundred (100) paper copies (one unbound for duplication) of the final
report should be submitted, in addition to electronic versions provided
in Microsoft Word, Adobe Portable Document Format(pdf), and Hypertext
Markup Language (HTML). A standard template for the cover page and other
necessary disclaimer language will be provided to researchers to aid in
their preparation of a final draft.
Researchers should be prepared for and open to editorial suggestions from
the Advisory Committee selected to oversee the project and Center staff
on final and interim reports. It is expected that researchers will thoroughly
edit and revise reports as needed prior to submission. In addition, researchers
will complete information necessary for inclusion in the MRUTC’s annual
report. Researchers should aim to provide a final report useful to an
audience of state, local, or federal transportation officials. Researchers
are also encouraged to prepare presentations and reports for conferences
and other venues.
Researchers will be asked to forward to Center staff a list of potential
representatives for a project advisory committee within two weeks of formally
awarding projects. This committee will be responsible for providing comments
and guidance for the research project.