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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Development of an Aeromedical Safety Assurance System</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652035</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Office of Aerospace Medicine (AAM) must establish a safety assurance capability to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) AVS Safety Management System (AVSSMS) requirements outlined in FAA Order VS 8000.367D. AAM currently lacks a systematic, evidence-based approach for monitoring whether medical risk mitigations, such as Special Issuance protocols, HIMS participation, and medication policies, are achieving their intended safety outcomes. Without a dedicated framework, AAM cannot fulfill its role in tracking the performance and effectiveness of medical safety risk controls across the National Airspace System (NAS), nor can it proactively detect shifts in risk level, emergent hazards, or unintended consequences of regulatory policy.

This research will define, develop, and validate a medical safety assurance framework tailored to AAM’s oversight responsibilities. The project will establish safety performance indicators, explore integration of aviation safety and medical certification data, and evaluate the application of advanced analytics (e.g., AI/ML) to monitor outcomes. Outputs will enable AAM to make informed, risk-prioritized decisions about oversight policy, improve cross-AVS coordination (e.g., with AVP), and enhance resilience to medical-related threats to operational safety.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:07:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652035</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Research Strategic Plan</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640692</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) Research wants to develop a Strategic Research and Process Improvement Plan. The plan will support MoDOT’s mission, values, and tangible results and improve the effectiveness of the program. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:23:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640692</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Year 2 Administrative Support
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628220</link>
      <description><![CDATA[No abstract provided.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:29:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628220</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Administrative Activities - University Transportation Centers Open Competition
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627810</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This grant will provide interested students with a chance to gain a better understanding of transportation, by supporting their attendance and participation in technical conferences related to transportation. This grant will also support technology transfer activities to support the overall Kansas University/Mid-America Transportation Center (KU MATC) award as well as administrative tasks.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:13:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627810</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Alternative Construction Contracting Mechanisms for Transportation Projects in the US Northeast Region</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2310161</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary goal of this project is to increase stakeholder education and support wider adoption of the Design Build (DB) contracting method by transportation owners in New Jersey and the Northeast region. DB has been utilized widely across the construction sector over the last 20 years, with notable benefits on schedule performance and design innovation. In the state of New Jersey, DB became available through the “Design-Build Construction Procurement Act” on April 2021.

OBJECTIVE: The intended outcome is a comprehensive report and presentation that can guide transportation agencies and bidders in New Jerseyy through the DB method, differences and challenges across states, and steps to implement and increase DB efficiency in their organizations through changes in procurement processes, stipend allocations, selection processes or request for proposal (RFP) requirements.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:19:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2310161</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Harnessing Real-Time Weather Data for Improved Bridge Inspection after Flood Events</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2590605</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research aim is to harness near real-time weather data to improve guidance for bridge inspections following rainfall events. Recent rainfall events in Indiana have washed out bridges, resulting in broken transportation networks and loss of life. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides near real-time weather information that integrates data from radar, rain gauges, satellites, numerical predictions, and other observations (i.e., lightning, surface, upper air). This research will investigate the use of this publicly available data to trigger bridge inspections, with the aim of improving
public safety.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2025 15:02:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2590605</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Root Causes and Mitigation Measures for Bid Protest in Alternative Contracting Methods</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558394</link>
      <description><![CDATA[State departments of transportation (DOTs) and other transportation agencies use alternative contracting methods (ACMs) instead of the traditional design-bid-build method to improve project delivery for a range of transportation construction projects. ACMs include, but are not limited to, design-build (DB), progressive design-build (PDB), construction manager at risk/construction manager general contractor (CMAR/CMGC), and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ). 

Well-planned procurement processes are critical for state DOTs and other transportation agencies. There are many bases for protests from unsuccessful proposers. These protests may necessitate canceling the procurement and reprocuring the project, resulting in additional costs and delays. Research is needed to identify potential situations that may give rise to procurement protests for projects using ACMs so that agencies can take appropriate measures to reduce risk and ensure that the procurement process proceeds as planned. 

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project is to develop a guide for identifying the root causes of procurement protests in ACMs, reducing the risk of protests, and addressing these protests. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2025 10:18:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558394</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Legal Aspects of Airport Programs. Topic 10-01A. Update of Compilation of FAA/DOT Airport Legal Determinations</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2483173</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Background
ACRP Legal Research Digest 21: Compilation of DOT and FAA Airport Legal Determinations and Opinion Letters is a compilation of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 14 C.F.R. Part 16 determinations and orders, FAA 14 C.F.R. Part 13 decisions, United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) 49 U.S.C. &sect; 47129 decisions, and legal opinion letters and related documents issued by the U.S. DOT General Counsel and FAA Chief Counsel as of 2017. FAA publishes Part 16 and Part 13 decisions online, but indexes them only by party name and docket number. ACRP LRD 21, which can be found at  https://crp.trb.org/acrplrd21/, indexes decisions by subject matter and is an extremely valuable research aid for airport operators, law firms, and consultants. This resource is updated annually.
 
OBJECTIVE
 
The objective of this research is to update the ACRP LRD 21 WebResource annually for four years through 2027.
 
STATUS: 2024 Abstracts are under review for publication. 2025 case reserach is in progress.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Dec 2024 20:11:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2483173</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Optimizing the STIP Letting and Construction Schedule</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464347</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Using historic project data, Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) is interested in identifying which projects should be advertised or “let” throughout the year in order to optimize schedules, aid in prioritization of work, and maximize cost-savings. With the same information, MoDOT would like to have a tool or methodology to identify the average annual workload of contractors to determine remaining capacity each year and when it might be most optimal to let projects in certain regions. For example, if MoDOT knows that certain contractors are close to being at full capacity in a specific region or district they commonly bid in, MoDOT may choose to delay (or accelerate when possible) a project to allow more schedule flexibility and ensure competition. This may involve the use of artificial intelligence or machine learning technologies.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 Nov 2024 11:45:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2464347</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of the Ohio Department of Transportation's Small Business Enterprise Program
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2431740</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is committed to fair and equal opportunities for firms of all sizes to do business with the state. The Small Business Enterprise (SBE) Program was established to ensure that small businesses receive fair opportunities to participate in ODOT contracting and consulting activities as prime contractors. It is a race/gender-neutral set-aside program that restricts competition for prime contracts on certain federally funded highway construction and design contracts (e.g., culvert replacement, geotechnical design, environmental consulting) to small businesses that have been certified through the program. SBE firms must be prequalified with ODOT to bid on SBE set-aside projects. The SBE must perform or exercise responsibility for at least 30% of the total cost of its contract with its own workforce. While it is a federal requirement to have an SBE element as part of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, the design and implementation of the SBE element is completely at ODOT's discretion, however, the process must be approved by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). ODOT's current SBE program was developed in 2015. While some individuals view the program as being successful, concerns have been expressed that the pool of SBE contractors is small resulting in a lack of competitive bids on construction projects.  Research is needed to evaluate ODOT's SBE program to ensure it is effective and meets the desired outcome.

The goal of this research is to evaluate ODOT's SBE program, determine its effectiveness and make recommendations for improvements. Objectives of this research include the following: (1) determine the current state of practice for SBE programs and establish best practices; (2) provide a baseline assessment of ODOT's SBE program's performance from its inception in 2015 to present day; and (3) provide recommendations for enhancements in the design and implementation of ODOT's SBE program which includes both certification requirements and the implementation of the program. This research will provide critical insights into how other recipients of transportation federal funding are structuring and managing their SBE programs and how ODOT's program can become more effective and efficient at facilitating competition by fostering productive relationships with SBEs. Findings from this research will identify potential improvements in the program that will not only help ODOT ensure compliance but may also serve to make the SBE program more robust and competitive while maintaining ODOT's ability to carry out design and construction programs in a cost effective manner.
                      ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:44:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2431740</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>NCHRP Implementation Support Program. Agency Implementation of the Design-Build and Contract Manager/General Contractor Guidebooks for Post-Award Contract Administration</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2422568</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research was to assist the state DOTs in implementing best practices for post-award contract administration of Design-Build and Contract Manager/General Contractor projects identified in the guidebooks developed in NCHRP Project 08-104: Guidebooks for Post-Award Contract Administration for Highway Projects Delivered Using Alternative Contracting Methods.







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]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:09:02 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2422568</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Noteworthy Practices Performing MPO Administrative Functions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2313953</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project seeks to identify the various methods and systems used by Florida’s 27 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to carry out various administrative functions including progress reporting and federal reimbursement, services and tangible goods procurement, grant and contract management, office and facilities management, and personnel management. The research objectives include: (1) Documenting current federal and state requirements for MPO administrative functions through a review of relevant regulatory and guidance documents. (2) Documenting current national MPO administrative practices through a targeted review of available literature using publicly available national databases. (3) Documenting Florida MPO administrative practices and processes. (4) Documenting noteworthy practices for MPO administrative practices within Florida, practices that are efficient and effective and achieve desired outcomes and which could serve as examples for MPOs across Florida. (5) Developing clear suggestions for improved MPO administrative practices and processes across the state, focusing on those practices that will give Florida MPOs a framework for efficiently and effectively managing their administrative and workforce-related tasks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 03 Jun 2024 15:03:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2313953</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Using Pay Adjustment Systems to Incentivize Quality Highway Construction



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381729</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the nation’s highway system is updated to meet future needs, state departments of transportation (DOTs) are managing the construction of increasingly complex transportation projects. As the size and complexity of these projects have increased, so has the need for identifying and addressing the impacts of project construction on communities, including disruptions to mobility, accessibility, community institutions, and quality of life.

Many community impacts and their associated mitigation measures are defined in project planning and design. However, the extent of the impact on a community is often not realized until the project is under construction. For example, business access or deliveries may be unexpectedly cut off, access to principal community destinations like parks or religious institutions may be affected, and noise or light pollution from the construction zone may disturb community residents. Often the impacts may not arise until well after construction is complete. For example, some communities experience changes to land use or housing and business rental affordability that can have lasting effects on the culture and composition of a community. 

State DOTs often implement community impact strategies to mitigate the impacts of construction and build community support for the project. Examples of mitigation include providing construction-related career development; local and small business participation in construction; providing access to local businesses and other community destinations such as places of worship, hospitals, and parks in construction zones; and incorporating community-focused project features. Developing and implementing strategies for providing community benefits during construction require skills and expertise that are not typical of the construction workforce. Research is needed to support state DOTs in managing construction-related community impacts. 

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to develop a guide on avoiding and mitigating community impacts from transportation project construction applicable to a variety of project contexts, sizes, and types.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 20:19:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381729</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Evaluation of the Transportation Pooled Fund Program</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2344662</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program is a collaborative program involving state departments of transportation (DOTs), AASHTO, and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that has existed for more than 45 years. The program was first defined in 1977 per Title 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) § 560.3 as a FHWA administered program in coordination with state DOTs. The TPF program creates an opportunity for partners to pool their funds, subject matter expertise, and other resources to conduct high-priority research to meet a wide variety of shared transportation problems. Being able to pool funds allows participants to achieve more from a study than if they conducted a study on their own. By leveraging funds and expertise, participants develop innovative solutions with a smaller investment while extending the reach and impact of their research. Projects that previously could have been cost prohibitive become more achievable through participation in the TPF Program. By offering hundreds of active pooled fund studies, the TPF Program assists partners in finding and funding projects applicable to their agency’s needs.

The FHWA Research & Technology (R&T) evaluation program was initiated in 2013 to assess and communicate the value and effectiveness of FHWA R&T investment. The objective of the R&T evaluation program is to document the impact of the projects, demonstrate accountability to funders and policymakers, and identify lessons learned and best practices that can be applied to future projects/programs, thus completing the innovation lifecycle. The Transportation Research Board (TRB), in collaboration with the FHWA, is overseeing the TRB/FHWA Program Evaluation (TFPE) to evaluate such programs. There is a need to evaluate the TPF to establish the degree of efficiency, implementation, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and attribution to assess and communicate its value.

The objective of this research is to develop and execute an evaluation plan for the FHWA’s Transportation Pooled Fund Program to answer these fundamental questions:
(1) Efficiency: Are the TPF Program’s activities conducted with an appropriate use of resources, such as budget and staff time (e.g., research and implementation approach, funding level)? How well is the administration of the program functioning? What is the appropriate level of involvement from the FHWA division office, particularly as it relates to time? Are there best practices from FHWA division offices that can be shared with other division offices? (2) Implementation: Are the results of TPF Program research being applied? Are project areas being adopted by the users (e.g., change in culture, state of the practice)? Is the FHWA TPF providing the tools, support, and outputs that DOTs need to implement? How does the FHWA TPF consider implementation for projects? How does the collaboration between FHWA and state transportation agencies help the state agencies implement the program? How does participation on a TPF affect future implementation of a project’s results? (3) Effectiveness: Is the TPF Program achieving the goals and objectives it was intended to accomplish (e.g., impact)? How satisfied are states with the TPF Program and results? (4) Cost-effectiveness: Does the value or benefit of achieving the TPF Program’s goals and objectives exceed the cost of producing them (e.g., return on investment and cost-benefit ratio)? Should there be a sliding scale for all projects based on the amount of projects states are allocated? How much staff time is needed for administration, especially for larger projects? (5) Attribution: How is the TPF Program helping states address their strategic goals (e.g., outcome)?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2024 11:48:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2344662</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>High Spatiotemporal Passenger-Centric Transit Performance Measures using Archived GTFS-Real Time Data</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2343788</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Unreliable public transportation is a barrier to reaching employment, education, and other community lifeline services. Most transit agencies provide a measure of on-time performance as the percentage of time that a bus arrives within a predefined on-time window to a stop. However, automatic vehicle location (AVL) and automatic passenger count (APC) technologies enable higher resolutions performance metrics to be developed. Using archived General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS)-real-time data, this project proposes high spatiotemporal resolution, passenger-centric on-time performance measures for MTA Maryland serving the Baltimore metropolitan area. Metrics include disaggregate on-time performance, reoccurring vs non-reoccurring delay, schedule and headway adherence, and the degree of schedule adherence. These metrics will be weighted by ridership and displayed on a publicly available web-based dashboard. The approach outlined in the project may be generalized to any transit agency that utilizes APC and AVL technology.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 22 Feb 2024 16:04:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2343788</guid>
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