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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <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>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>Promoting Teachers' and Young Learners' Engagement of Transportation Issues</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652184</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will develop, implement, and distribute standards-aligned curriculum that focuses on real-world transportation issues to include stormwater runoff and erosion mitigation and air quality issues. The curriculum will serve as educative curriculum materials (ECM) for teachers as they engage students with research-based instruction focused on Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) and transportation industry research and recommendations, science content ideas (e.g., water cycle, erosion), and non-science considerations (e.g., economic, ethical, social, legal). The curriculum will also profile the authentic work of TTI researchers, other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)  professionals, and the characteristics of their work. Research will be conducted on how professional and curriculum development affects knowledge bases and practices, and how implemented curriculum impacts students’ knowledge of science and engagement of real-world societally important scientific issues.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:13:31 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2652184</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Understanding Human-centered AI through Data Integration and Analytics</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2643429</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project intends to develop course modules and tools for students to understand human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) methods and data requirements, conduct specific mobility analysis using AI-empowered technologies, and build multimodal technology solutions to improve mobility. TRB Special Report 275: The Workforce Challenge highlighted data and analysis needs as critical for future transportation professionals. Therefore, this education project will help build the data component currently weak or missing in transportation curricula. Also, the USDOT RD&T Strategic Plan highlights AI as an important technology and skill set for the next-generation transportation workforce. Thus, this project can also help train the future workforce for effective use of AI technologies in their practice.

The project outcome will deliver AI-based data integration and analytics education and workforce development modules that provide the transportation workforce with the knowledge and tools needed to assist them in improving the safety and efficiency of the nation’s transportation system through innovative human-centered AI transportation applications. The project outreach and technology transfer plan will provide greater access to continuing education and workforce development opportunities to meet the evolving needs of the transportation community at the local, tribal, state, regional, and national levels. Additionally, as part of the project tasks, the research team will build coalitions with local, tribal, state, regional, and national collaborators, and AI vendors to ensure that the education activities address emerging issues in Machine Learning and human-centered AI applications.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 20:02:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2643429</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Preparing Future Transportation Construction Professionals: Developing a Course Module on AI use in Construction for Undergraduates</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2554120</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the ways many transportation professionals complete their work. In the construction field, AI is helping professionals with tasks ranging from construction planning and scheduling to risk and safety management. To ensure the future construction workforce is ready to leverage technology to improve the quality and efficiency of transportation infrastructure projects, construction management and construction engineering students need to have lessons in industry use of AI as part of their undergraduate degree programs. In this project the research team will interact with technology leaders in construction companies to understand construction industry tasks and roles AI is currently supporting or expected to support in the near future. With this insight the team will develop a new learning module for a relevant construction course. This learning module will accomplish two key goals, (1) the module will introduce transportation related content into construction courses and (2) the module will demonstrate how traditional curricula can be updated and transformed to meet the changes demanded by AI. The learning module will be shared with other construction and engineering educators by placing the module in a teaching repository and by presenting the work at education focused conferences such as Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) or American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 17 May 2025 21:06:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2554120</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Developing Curriculum and Guidelines for a Capstone-Style Transit System Planning &amp; Design Course</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2420098</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Great cities don’t work without great transit. While many European and Asian cities boast of robust transit systems providing convenient connectivity and access to all types of destinations, transit in the US has mostly remained inefficient, unreliable, and limited. We can point to many possible financial, structural, political, and cultural reasons behind the lack of progress in the US; however, it is worth pointing out that it all coincides with a general lack of transit-specific education on the part of transportation engineers and planners in the US. While there are some open-access transit curriculums available online, none includes urban design components that introduce students to account for contextual access and perception aspects of transit. The purpose of developing this curriculum is to provide students with hands-on experience in designing different elements of a transit system and its operations from a systems-level perspective. The curriculum will have 3 different components: 1. A lecture component that will provide students with an overview of the principles and practices of transit system planning and design in transportation engineering. 2. A case study analysis component where students will engage in hands-on exercises that apply the concepts learned. 3. A capstone-style final project where the student groups will visit transit-oriented communities, analyze and understand the gaps between current state of practice and community needs, and then provide design recommendation for improvements. The output of this project will be open-access modules of the proposed transit planning and design course. At the minimum, we will produce: 1. A website with lecture slides, assignments, and project ideas 2. A list of references and links to other open-source transit course materials 3. Open-source data sites/repositories that may be useful for transit planning.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 26 Aug 2024 15:04:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2420098</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Identifying Curriculum Needs for Workforce Development in Transportation Asset Management

</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381728</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation asset management (TAM) professionals are facing increased professional demands due to the challenge of managing deteriorating transportation infrastructure with budget limitations and new regulations such as those contained in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These professionals are also expected to possess technical knowledge and personal and communications skills to lead their agencies' TAM efforts. These skills and knowledge areas include data collection, filtering, and analysis; visualization; multi-criteria decision-making; optimization; communication; change management; and leadership. Non-academic organizations have created educational and professional development opportunities in asset management to address this demand, but these offerings are often not targeted to applications in transportation and can be viewed as expensive, time-consuming alternatives that only offer partial solutions to specific gaps in knowledge.

Research is needed to determine the competencies and skills expected from TAM professionals and to identify needs for the development of new curriculum and/or new accreditation programs for workforce development in TAM. By specifically identifying educational needs evidenced by the gap between required competencies and available offerings, this research will be the first step in improving TAM professionals’ capabilities and, subsequently, state department of transportation (DOT) and other transportation agency TAM performance.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this research are to develop (1) a gap analysis of TAM education and implementation practices within state DOTs and other transportation agencies; and (2) a research roadmap identifying opportunities for curriculum development and other professional development avenues for the current and future TAM workforce.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 17:27:56 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2381728</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Aligning Iowa Driver Education Curriculum and Standards Toward A Zero Fatalities Vision</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2344952</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Effective driver education should provide a solid foundation for novice drivers in establishing good driving habits and being prepared for the variety of driving conditions present in Iowa. Accomplishing this requires a scientific approach and data driven to understand the safety issues and challenges for novice drivers in order to develop a driver education curriculum that meets their needs. On the other hand, development and maintenance of an entire Driver Education program similar to what is currently available from vendors is a rather resource and time intensive undertaking. This project takes a balanced approach in addressing the core driver education needs in Iowa while leveraging existing resources. Specifically, the project will accomplish the following: (1) compare the current Iowa driver education curriculum against national/regional programs and standards and identify gaps; (2) survey professional and parent driving instructors in Iowa to identify gaps and best practices; (3) identify novice driver safety issues through a summary of available information and analyses of the Iowa crash data; (4) identify gaps in the Iowa Driver Education curriculum using the information gathered in the above activities; (5) develop curriculum content for the most critical gaps; (6) develop an outline of suggested content for a driving curriculum that meet the needs of novice drivers in Iowa; (7) provide guidance for incorporation of the proposed curriculum and developed content use and incorporation by vendors and driving instructors; (8) provide guidance to assist private vendors/instructors on updating teaching and delivery methods; (9) develop guidelines for adoption of curriculums by private vendors for Iowa; (10) develop recommendations on teaching and delivery methods; and (11) draft language to incorporate changes into the Iowa Code.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 27 Feb 2024 17:50:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2344952</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Health in All Policies (HiAP) Rural Based Curriculum Development and Community Implementation Trainings</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2216570</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The goal of this project is to work with the Public Health Institute (PHI) and local partners to identify existing HiAP curricula and adapt them to address the equity, diversity, funding, and policy of small urban and rural communities in Montana. The updated curriculum will consist of educational materials, planning and community health guides, as well as all the materials to successfully deliver HiAP trainings in a rural setting. The project team will then implement the HiAP curriculum through planning, outreach, marketing, and trainings within regional audiences. Performance metrics and process and outcome evaluations will be utilized to provide immediate updates to program delivery as well as recommendations for future evidence-based work. Results will be summarized in a final report, which will include recommendations for dissemination to other local, regional, and state governments and community leaders. A journal article and conference presentations will also be prepared.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 20 Jul 2023 16:28:15 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2216570</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Explore the USDOT / Leidos CAVe-In-A-Box Tool 2023-10STAR-E-B
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2122520</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Forecasting the advance of a technological revolution in public transportation, industry leaders and governing agencies continue to seek effective educational resources by which to prepare the emerging transportation workforce. To this end, connected and automated vehicle education (CAVe)-in-a-box was developed and designed by the Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory (STOL), commissioned by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). CAVe-in-a-box is an educational tool which consists of an interconnected set of intelligent transportation system equipment representing a vehicle and its environment. In this way, the CAVe-in-a-box tool models how a complete connected and automated vehicle (CAV) system works.  Despite its many advantages and potential, the CAVe-in-a-box tool has so far been developed and designed with adult audiences in mind; namely, future technicians at community colleges and trade schools, new hires at equipment vendors, bench testers at certification consortiums, and transportation researchers. Without a youth emphasis in CAVe to bridge the gap between high schools and universities or trade schools, a significant percentage of the future technological workforce is left unserved, uninspired, and consequently unattracted to the transportation industry altogether during formative years in which long-term career goals are often established.

The goals of this research are (1) to develop engaging curriculum resources and related activities specific to Grades 5 through 12 on CAV technology, communication protocols, data collection and processing, and systems engineering; and (2) to offer new applications for existing CAVe-in-a-box tool focused on exploring new V2X communication technologies. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2023 11:05:18 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2122520</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Developing the Capacity for Producing the Next Generation of Transportation Leaders</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2057913</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this effort is to assess the needs for capacity development, identify programs and resources currently available in the United States, and develop material for inclusion in the master’s degree program in Transportation Leadership]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2022 14:21:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2057913</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Promoting Transportation Equity (TE) through Curriculum Interventions (Project K6)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2004497</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The transportation industry, as it exists today, does not represent the communities it serves. Promoting diversity and inclusion, while uplifting equity within the transportation workforce, is a necessity to create an inclusive environment that meets communities’ needs (Ng, 2020). We need to start encouraging an equity-minded reform in engineering schools, where the main focus continues to be the technical aspects of transportation. The missing piece in these curriculums is understanding the human context of transportation and how transportation projects and policies change the direction of urban, suburban, and rural lives.
To address these needs, this project will develop an equity-focused course for transportation and civil engineering fields for universities and colleges in the Southeast. An equity-focused curriculum aims to: (1) bring subtle forms of inequities within transportation systems to light; and (2) provide opportunities for deep analysis around historically underrepresented groups and the deceleration of these groups joining the workforce. This project will build on existing training, toolkits, and measures centering on transportation equity (UFTI, 2021). Through reviewing existing courses related to transportation equity training and STEM inclusion programs (ITE, 2018), this project will develop the layout and materials for equity training to be used by graduate schools to educate future engineers and planners about the manifestation of equity in their daily practices and ways to promote diversity and enhance inclusion within the transportation field. The educational material can be used in other geographic locations. The research team will complete a comprehensive review of existing courses and training on transportation equity in a sample of 40 graduate programs across the country (in civil engineering and urban and regional planning). Such a course will provide engineering students with insightful perspectives on the human context they are working with and the impacts of transportation projects and policies on communities’ everyday lives. Ultimately, this creates a more comprehensive and practical approach to transportation and makes these students invaluable to the future workforce.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:40:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2004497</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>STRIDE K-12 Curriculum on Transportation Planning and
Technology (WKF-Project R6)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2004439</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The STRIDE Center will develop a curriculum that will introduce middle and high school
classrooms to transportation planning and technology. The curriculum will include three lessons
and hands-on activities on topics related to transportation engineering that are currently not
addressed through available curricula. The lesson plans will include a number of short modules that
can be implemented on their own or in combination with other modules to provide a longer, more
in-depth lesson. When applicable, emphasis will be placed on connecting content to research being
conducted through the University of Florida and the STRIDE partner institutions. Existing and
emerging careers in transportation will be featured throughout.
Activities will be developed by STRIDE staff and researchers and piloted through outreach
programs such as summer camps and other K-12 engineering events. The finalized curriculum will
be available for free through the STRIDE website for educators.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 10 Aug 2022 14:31:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2004439</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Equitable Transportation Electrification Learning Module for Civil Engineering Students</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874589</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The project team proposes to develop a hands-on learning module for Civil Engineering students. In this module, students will learn how to craft policies and facilitate operations for sustainable deployment of electric transportation. To achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, there is an added impetus to accelerate the process of workforce development in the transportation electrification sector. Specifically, engineers in public infrastructure management need understand the barriers of using electric transportation and the impacts of their decision on the systems level performance. However, the current civil engineering curriculum does not provide opportunities for students to engage with data and methods related to electric transportation. The project team will focus on designing two types of learning activities - 1) designing incentives, rebates, and policies to promote equitable and accelerated adoption of electric transportation; 2) planning and operating charging infrastructure with varying vehicle technologies and systems needs. These learning activities will be equipped with real world case studies and user preference data. Using a ‘sandbox’ approach, the students will learn how to meet consumer needs and preferences and how to sustainably assimilate new technologies. In addition, the students will quantify the impacts of investment decisions on different communities before and after equity considerations. The students will learn electric transportation as a system-of  -systems problem; where the traveler activity system interacts with the vehicle system and consequently impacts the electric grid system.
The Cal Poly team will develop the operational and systems level learning activities. The USF team will develop behavioral, economic, and policy decisions related activities. The developed learning module will be tested as part of three graduate courses in Cal Poly and USF. A website will be designed to disseminate the learning module to external stakeholders. The module can be expanded as a short course or workshop for practicing engineers.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:19:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874589</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Preparing Future Workforce for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874588</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation is at cusp of a revolutionary transformation with the confluence of the rapid deployment of automation, connectivity, and electric mobility solutions in the near future. Accompanying this swift transformation is the need to inform, educate, and prepare the workforce to support and enable the deployment of these technologies in a fast and effective approach. Specifically, electrification of the transportation sector is the most imminent and requires professionals in disparate domains to be educated and trained about the interdisciplinary aspects of electric vehicles (EVs) and the concomitant infrastructure and policy requirements. The objective of this proposal is to develop a course addressing the needs of working professionals in public and private transportation infrastructure organizations (at the local, state and federal level) , utilities, EV manufacturers, grid operators and others. The course will be structured into modules that address different aspects so that the course can be customized to audience requirements. The course can be delivered in person or in a virtual setting.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:17:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874588</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Campus as a Living Lab: Discovering the Comfort of Wheelchair Users in the Pedestrian Network by Experiential Learning with High School Students</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874587</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Although the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) shifted our paradigm for accessibility, the built environment is still not friendly for wheelchair users. The main challenge is that enforcement of ADA guidelines primarily focuses on the design requirements, while actual usability is less emphasized in current practice and evaluation is limited largely to walk-through investigations. In this research project, we will draw on Disability Studies and disability-led design to develop and implement an experiential learning-based curriculum to teach students  about disability-related transportation inequities. The curriculum aims to introduce the mobility barriers encountered by wheelchair users—one of the largest minority user groups of transportation infrastructure. The curriculum also covers the educational contents of open source-based data acquisitions (e.g., Raspberry Pi,  sensors) as well as data analytics (e.g., descriptive statistics, data visualizations) with multiple hands-on examples. After completing each module, the research team  will use the University of Texas at Arlington campus as a living lab for high school students via which they will demonstrate their data acquisition tools and present the results. This series of educational activities will provide experiential learning opportunities for upper-level high school students interested in careers in urban planning and engineering and introduce them to basic concepts in Disability Studies and disability-led design. Ultimately, the curriculum will motivate high school students to develop citizen science-based  solutions and to be aware of disability-related barriers when they encounter other transportation inequities in the future.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:12:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874587</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>GIS Training in Transportation and Environmental Justice for Promoting Student Success in STEAM Education</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874092</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Minority and lower-income populations have historically been disproportionately underrepresented in STEM education and jobs. The educational attainment gap for underrepresented minorities graduating high school and earning a college degree, especially in the STEM field, continues to remain wide. Teaching theories of environmental justice and transportation planning in a school curriculum helps to empower the youth of communities by addressing local issues concerning transportation plans and environmental justice and ultimately, helps students to develop skills to make important life and career decisions. To address the education gap and promote student success in STEM Education, the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs at UT Arlington will partner with two high schools in the City of Dallas and develop a 4-week lab course curriculum on geographic information systems (GIS), known to be useful for career development. This GIS lab course will demonstrate the interdisciplinary approaches between transportation planning and environmental justice. It also aims to expose young students with diverse backgrounds (e.g. Hispanic, other minorities) at the early stages of their higher education to interdisciplinary learning and research to promote academic and career success. The curriculum will be developed jointly by the research team and the high school teachers to ensure replicability by the teachers beyond the lab course. The lab course will include GIS training with real-world data,  guest lectures by transportation and environmental planning experts, and a site survey with emerging technologies (e.g. a drone). The findings from the lab course will help students to initiate practical analysis for their existing/new courses (e.g. architectural studio, geography & technology) addressing transportation and environmental justice issues of accessibility around the Trinity River in the DFW metroplex. The findings will also feed into the IUS’s larger research that documents various aspects impacting the well-being of the Upper Trinity watershed. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:49:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1874092</guid>
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