Responses Available at http://www.mrutc.org/research/2005responses.htm
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. This is in addition to any specific Requests for Proposals posted on the Center’s website (http://www.mrutc.org/rfps2005.htm). Three specific RFPs have been posted.
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 undergraduate & graduate level. Development of such courses would help ensure that students are prepared to work in the changing environment currently facing engineers. The future vision for development of engineering and policy professionals is that these programs include course offerings featuring 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).
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 the costs (past and future) of establishing, maintaining and improving transportation systems in such a way that they continue to meet customer needs.
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:
· Identifying and evaluating potential secondary land use impacts at the system-plan, regional, and corridor levels.
(Please note, this Call for Proposals is intentionally broad to encourage a wider submission of proposals than may be allowed for under the MRUTC’s or Transportation Asset Management Pooled Fund’s existing RFPs.)
Deadline and Mailing Information:
Research proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, February 28, 2005.
Mailing Address:
10 hard copies of all research proposals and one electronic copy must be submitted to:
Greg Waidley
Research Manager
Midwest Regional University Transportation Center
Rm 2205 Engineering Hall
1415 Engineering Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Questions regarding this General Call for Proposals may be directed to Greg Waidley, Research Manager, at 608/262-2013 or Jason Bittner, Program Manager, 608/262-7246.
Criteria for Consideration
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. During this call for proposals, it is unlikely that projects that do not include significant matching funding will be approved. 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. Projects that exceed a dollar for dollar match will receive additional consideration.
Educational Focus - Proposals must 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 review criteria are available here.
Proposal Format and Organization
Project Summary
i. 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.
i. 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.
a. Letters of support must be included from each team member, if multiple institutions and researchers are involved.
Other Information
Proposal submissions should include the names of four potential peer reviewers. Peer reviewers may be from private or public sector transportation agencies or have a familiarity with the research topic. State or federal Department of Transportation Officials, academics, or private sector consultants and managers are possible reviewers.
Proposals submitted should reflect a general understanding of Transportation Asset Management as defined through the FHWA and AASHTO. Visit the Transportation Asset Management Today website (http://assetmanagement.transportation.org) for background materials.
Researchers will be required to meet at least twice with the Advisory Committee sponsoring this research or MRUTC Staff. In practice, these meetings 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. An example of such a report is available here.
One hundred (100) paper copies (one unbound for duplication) of the final report should be submitted, in addition to an electronic version provided in Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF format. Please budget accordingly for printing and shipping. 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. In addition, researchers will have to prepare an electronic presentation of their materials suitable for delivery to a State DOT management team.
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. Researchers should aim to provide a final report useful to an audience of state, local, or federal transportation officials. Researchers are encouraged to prepare presentations and reports for conferences and other venues.
Researchers will also 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.
All research awarded through this Call for Proposals will also require a poster to be prepared (30”x40” maximum) for display during a MRUTC-sponsored reception at the TRB Annual Meetings in January 2006 and January 2007 (if applicable).