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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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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>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Broadband &amp; TSMO Integration: Next-Generation Fiber Network for ITS and Asset
Management</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780487</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will develop a unified fiber optic network strategy and governance framework to support intelligent transportation systems (ITS), transportation systems management and operations (TSMO), and enterprise communications across the Idaho Transportation Deparement (ITD). The study will evaluate ITD’s existing fiber optic network, communications infrastructure, and asset management practices and review approaches used by other transportation agencies. The results will be used to develop network standards, governance processes, geographic information system (GIS) based asset management practices, and decision making tools to support future communication technology investments and improve network resilience and long term operations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:53:01 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2780487</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title> 
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU): Smart Cities Supplement Summer 2027
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2762047</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Since 2020, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has hosted an NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site on Smart Cities focused on advanced mobility technologies, including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The program attracts more than 100 applicants annually and has trained over 45 students, producing more than one peer-reviewed publication per summer. This project supplements the existing site to support two additional undergraduate researchers working on Research and Education for Promoting Safety University Transportation Center (REPS UTC) safety-related projects.
The project will recruit two undergraduate students from relevant disciplines (electrical and computer engineering, civil engineering, computer science), with emphasis on outreach to institutions with varied student populations. Selected students will complete a ten-week summer research experience under faculty mentorship across the ITS, CAV, and V2X focus areas, complemented by co-curricular training including weekly cohort meetings, enrichment activities, and cohort-building. Key tasks include developing compelling safety research projects with UNLV mentors, national advertising and recruitment, candidate evaluation and selection, mentored summer research, and final reporting through the UNLV Undergraduate Research Symposium and academic publication venues.
Expected outcomes include expanded undergraduate participation in transportation safety research, student projects aligned with REPS UTC initiatives, student reports, presentations, and potential peer-reviewed publications. The project strengthens the pipeline of future transportation professionals and UNLV's research infrastructure in traffic safety, helping develop the next generation of researchers and practitioners equipped to address emerging safety challenges in transportation systems.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:59:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2762047</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Examination of Light-Based Directed Vehicle to Everything Communications Systems for Bridge Strike Detection (Using ImpLi-Fi)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2727317</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In this proposed project, the ImpLi-Fi team - consisting of the University of Michigan-Dearborn and SpectraLux, LLC - will deploy a reliable and directed light-based wireless infrastructure-to-vehicle communication technology to warn at-risk trucks of imminent bridge strikes. Once shown to be feasible, the same concept can also be extended to flash flood warning, wrong-way driving, etc. Unlike wireless communications using radio-frequency (RF), which are always omni-directional, ImpLi-Fi uses light, allowing transmissions to be focused so that they only target specific impacted vehicles, thereby avoiding the risk of annoying/desensitizing other parallel road users.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jul 2026 15:22:08 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2727317</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-5135: CARSx Traveler Information Message (J-2735) Module Development</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709429</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will facilitate joint engagement between Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), and Castle Rock Associates. The objective of this proposal is to establish a collaborative, cost-sharing approach for work currently defined under an existing scope of work developed by Castle Rock for MnDOT, while ensuring that each state receives its own independent implementation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:27:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2709429</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Traveler Information for Rural Maryland</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2701236</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Disseminating traveler information in rural Maryland has long been challenging due to the limited deployment of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) devices, such as dynamic message signs (DMS) and highway advisory radios (HARs). This challenge becomes particularly acute during major events, such as hurricanes or large-scale evacuations, when clear and accessible communication is critical. HARs, which operate on AM radio frequencies, have been a key tool for disseminating detailed information, but their reliance on outdated technology has made maintenance costly and increasingly unfeasible as spare parts become unavailable. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) has already retired half of its HARs and faces difficulty maintaining the remaining units, which are still vital in certain areas. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 09:12:24 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2701236</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Internal Communications with SHA Employees</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2701234</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Approximately 20 years ago, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) conducted a research project to audit its internal communications processes.  Many of the concerns identified in that study still exist today. The challenge the agency is facing is a large portion of its employee population are frontline workers who do not have indoor offices equipped with computers nor access to work phones. Their offices are our roadways.
While the challenges are similar, there are more options to make improvements, With advancements in technology and a changing workforce, there are many more tools and resources available for the agency to communicate with its more than 3,000 employees spread across the state.
SHA’s Office of Communication would like to conduct a study that examines the current methods used to reach employees to provide internal announcements such as training opportunities, HR information and agency accomplishments; hear what information employees want to receive and how they want to receive it; and identify strategies and best delivery methods to reach frontline employees effectively to ensure that every employee regardless of where they work has access to essential agency communications. 
This research will review the previous research and surveys to assess the recommendations provided and develop new recommendations for the following research questions:
•	How is SHA communicating internally with office staff and those in the field, many without regular access to work phones and computers?
•	What are the most effective ways to communicate with facility maintenance technicians (FMTs) and other field staff?
•	Are field staff and office staff satisfied with the way SHA is currently communicating to them?
•	How do staff – field and office – want information communicated?
•	What information does staff want to be communicated, information to:
	                - boost morale?
                - engage employees with the agency as a whole and not simply just within their departments?

               - ensure they are getting information that can provide employee growth and improve their quality of  work / life balance?
This study will help improve how SHA communicates with all employees, including front line workers, by identifying strategies based on the findings from focus groups and/or surveys. The results will lead to a more engaged workforce and ensure that essential information reaches these critical employees.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 May 2026 09:01:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2701234</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title> Simulating Accessibility from CAVs and ICTs (SACI)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2680126</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Simulating Accessibility from CAVs and ICTs (SACI) develops a simulation tool that helps transportation agencies understand and plan for the transformative impacts of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) and information and communication technologies (ICTs) on travel behavior and network demand. As CAVs and ICTs reshape how people choose destinations and routes, new models are needed to predict future demand and usage. The project develops a framework that captures cognitive, perceptual, and behavioral effects of CAVs and ICTs, implements it in an agent-based model using SILO, MITO, and MATSim simulation components, and packages the result as a software tool for use by state, regional, and local DOTs. The model uses multimodal transportation network data from the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region to assess how CAV-ICT deployment affects travel patterns and land use across the region.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:25:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2680126</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Assessing Cybersecurity Risks of Vehicle Accessories: From Wireless Connectivity to Firmware</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2676003</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The research team propose to conduct comprehensive penetration testing on various emerging vehicle accessories. For example, since 2019, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has mandated the use of electronic logging devices (ELDs) for most commercial motor vehicle drivers in the United States. These devices are designed to monitor hours of service (HOS) to reduce fatigue-related accidents. Additionally, OBD-II dongles provide diagnostic capabilities for drivers, repair technicians, and insurance companies. Other examples include dash cameras, vehicle health monitors, and infotainment adapters. Recent research including that of the research team has shown that accessories (e.g., ELD, and CarPlay adapter) can serve as attack vectors for compromising vehicle systems. Given that modern vehicles are safety-critical systems, vulnerabilities in these accessories may pose serious real-world risks. More specifically, these accessories typically operate via wireless connections to smartphones, allowing users to manage device settings and monitor performance through companion apps. As a result, vulnerabilities may exist across three components: (1) wireless connectivity (e.g., Bluetooth), (2) mobile applications, and (3) device firmware. As a result, the research team proposes to conduct a comprehensive penetration test on these in-vehicle accessories to reveal any potential vulnerabilities. 

First, the research team will examine the wireless connection between accessories and smartphones, the initial point of interaction. If unsecured, this connection could be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access and control. The research team's prior work on OBD-II dongles has shown that many of these devices lack authentication, allowing attackers to connect even while a driver is actively using them. The research team will assess whether similar vulnerabilities are present in other types of accessories. Next, the team will reverse engineer the companion applications. Building on its earlier work, which revealed CAN command embedded in app code, the research team will extend its analysis to additional accessories. CAN commands are powerful; they can be used to perform operations such as unlocking doors or activating turn signals. Moreover, these apps may store sensitive data, especially in the case of ELDs, which require user authentication to track driver identity and activity. The research team will develop an automated framework that can extract and analyze relevant data from applications, regardless of devices.
Finally, the research team will collect and analyze firmware from these accessories to identify embedded security flaws. The research team will create a methodology to automate vulnerability detection, using techniques such as fuzzing, symbolic execution, and fingerprinting. If the firmware uses outdated or vulnerable open-source components, these could be inherited flaws that present systemic risks.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:17:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2676003</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Ensuring PNT Resiience</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2676001</link>
      <description><![CDATA[With CARMEN+ support the research team has characterized the timing properties of modulation from the Starlink constellation in order to assess its suitability for providing opportunistic pseudorange-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) as a backup to Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). With the same purpose, the team has also uncovered key features of the OneWeb signal structure and has demodulated its data for the first time. The findings have indicated that opportunistic pseudorange-based PNT is not feasible using Starlink signals without aiding from a network of ground receivers. But given such a network, the team has achieved 10-meter-level positioning and 30-ns timing using Starlink signals. The next phase will extend this project along several lines: (i) characterize the modulation timing stability of OneWeb as the team has done with Starlink, (ii) deploy a network of 2 or 3 reference stations so that all ephemeris and transmission time modeling errors may be eliminated, (iii) employ super-resolution techniques to more precisely estimate modulation (e.g., Starlink frame) time of arrival, and (iv) analyze the pattern of assigned beams and side beams from Starlink satellites to predict how many unique satellites would typically be available for a PNT solution, and with what dilution of precision. For these studies, the team will capture and analyze broadband Starlink, OneWeb, and Kuiper data with their own RF equipment from multiple stations. The team believes that the outcome of this work will be of great importance, namely, a backup PNT system with global reach, decimeter positioning, nanosecond timing, inherent signal authentication (via cross-checking unpredictable broadband payload data and against a reference network), and improved resistance to jamming compared to traditional GNSS. Furthermore, the team aims to transfer this technology to their project partners for commercialization.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:15:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2676001</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Context Aware Optimal Information Selection for Reliable, Resilient, Secure, and Efficient
Cooperative Perception</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2676000</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Cooperative perception significantly enhances a vehicle's local field of view by leveraging shared information from nearby vehicles, thus improving overall situational awareness. However, in densely populated environments, cooperative perception can place substantial strain on both communication band-width and computational resources. Such scenarios often result in excessive redundant information, where multiple vehicles repeatedly report the same objects, provide data at unnecessarily high frequencies, or share information irrelevant to the ego vehicle's current context. These issues cumulatively increase computational overhead prior to data fusion and lead to prolonged decision-making times.
Therefore, an effective filtering mechanism is necessary to selectively retain only the most informative objects. Higuchi et al. proposed a value anticipation-based Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) communication approach. In their method, the sender evaluates the potential informational value to receivers and, based on real-time network conditions, either defers or cancels transmissions. This ensures that primarily essential information is disseminated to neighboring vehicles. In another related study, Zhou et al. introduced the Augmented Informative Cooperative Perception (AICP) algorithm, which incorporates both a routing mechanism and message filtering at the receiver side. Their algorithm utilizes an informative-ness measure to assess and select messages, optimizing resource use while ensuring relevant data is received.

While redundant messaging is typically seen as a problem due to its computational demands, it can also provide significant benefits in enhancing security within V2X communications. Specifically, redundancy can enhance detection of malicious behavior through corroborative data from trustworthy vehicles, thereby improving the security of V2X communications. Lie et al. proposed Misbehavior Detection for Collective Perception Services in Vehicular Communications (MISO-V), which leverages redundancy from received V2X messages to validate incoming perception information. Upon verifying a new message against redundant data, the receiver updates the sender’s trust score based on whether the information is classified as benign or potentially malicious. This updated trust score subsequently guides down-stream tasks in determining whether to integrate or discard information provided by that sender.

Balancing redundancy is thus crucial - maintaining an optimal level of redundancy can simultaneously enhance security and sustain computational efficiency. A suitable approach involves dynamically adjusting redundancy based on multiple factors, including source reliability (assessed via trust mechanisms), the planned route of the ego vehicle, prevailing network conditions, and the Age of Information (AoI). This strategy ensures that cooperative perception remains robust, secure, and scalable, supporting accurate and timely decision-making within cooperative vehicle networks.

The aim is to establish a balance between purposeful and efficient redundancy and safety against potential attack scenarios, optimizing the use of communicated data and the reliability of data fusion necessary for downstream tasks such as planning and control. The research team will explore information redundancy, perception inconsistencies, context aware fusion, spoofing and other attack scenarios, and the detection of attack patterns and will employ optimization strategies and reinforcement learning techniques. The focus will include intersection scenarios with varying traffic densities and connectivity levels. In addition to using the VeReMi dataset, the team will explore extensions to more realistic collaborative perception message attach scenarios for evaluation and validation.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 19:08:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2676000</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mixed Virtual Reality as an Aid in Advancing the Reliability and Robustness of Connected and Automated Vehicle Applications</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2675998</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The rigorous evaluation of safety critical Connected and Automated Vehicle (CAV) scenarios, faces some significant hurdles. Physical testing of scenarios (including edge-cases) presents risk and cost challenges as it is inherently dangerous, cost-prohibitive, and often non-reproducible. Additionally, purely virtual simulation lacks the real-world complexity of communication latency, interference, sensor noise profiles, and realistic representation of physical vehicle dynamics. To address this, the research team proposes using Mixed Reality (MR) co-simulation on a closed-course test track. This powerful alternative merges the real-world fidelity of a physical test platform (live sensor data, vehicle kinematics, real wireless communication channels) with the reproducible complexity of a virtual environment. This enables the safe and rigorous testing of otherwise impractical edge cases. The MR testbed facilitates comprehensive evaluation, addressing critical challenges for example: (1) Robustness and Reliability: It allows for precise injection of sensor degradation faults and failures and enables V2X reliability stress-testing in real-world communication and interference. (2) Cybersecurity and PNT Resilience: The platform safely simulates False Data Injection (FDI) and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks into the V2X communication channel, testing the Vehicle Under Test's Intrusion Detection Systems. Furthermore, it assesses system reliability when Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) data is compromised (e.g., via GNSS spoofing), evaluating the system's ability to use V2X data for positioning correction or safe mode transition. This framework leverages the validated utility of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) platforms to rigorously evaluate the real-time performance and resilience of V2X protocols and sensor data fusion architectures on embedded edge computers. The project will leverage the existing highly-instrumented vehicle platform previously developed through the U.S. DOE ARPA-E NEXTCAR Program, which will serve as the Vehicle Under Test (VUT). Collaboration with TRC will be leveraged to facilitate the setup and validation of the MR testbed.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:57:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2675998</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Traveler Experience Via Alternatives to Roadway/Railway Grade Crossings  </title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646961</link>
      <description><![CDATA[There are more than 240,000 at-grade crossings between railroads and roadways in the U.S. and as the number of freight trains increases, the times of interface and blocked crossings also increases. USDOT reports numerous driver complaints about delays and frequent disruptions, and in some cases, there are delays to emergency vehicles due to excessive numbers of blocked trains. Work is underway to continue documentation and to consider strategies and address the frequent and repeated delays caused by long trains. The most requested remedy is grade separation. Grade separations are extremely expensive, and planning and construction lead times are long, so there is a need to identify other more short-term strategies that will offer travelers and emergency responders options to waiting on the long trains.  

The focus of this research will be Fort Bend County and Harris County, Texas, which include major freight corridors from Port Houston, the 3rd largest container port in the country. Between the two counties, there are at least 11,000 at grade crossings. Specifically, this work will assemble delay time data showing frequency and duration for the identified railroad crossings. The team will conduct literature review and on-line and in-person conversations to determine options and strategies underway by entities (e.g., railroad operators), municipalities, and others to address better traveler information and options to reduce and avoid delay time. Potential options include cameras noting delays and following with notifications to emergency services proximate to locations with frequent delays. The study team will examine whether this information distribution could be expanded to additional users. An additional option to be examined is message signs alerting travelers to blocked crossings in time to adjust their travel route. The expected research outcome is to provide an option to grade separations that will reduce delay time for travelers caused by blocked train crossings. ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:10:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2646961</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Connected Vehicle Data</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640696</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Compass IoT company is performing a pilot project with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to provide data, both historical and over a four-month period, for the research team to build a proof of concept for the member states in the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) Pooled Fund. This will allow the research team to show the member states the benefits that can be realized with this information. The data will be focused on work zone information, near miss data, and winter weather events.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:56:38 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2640696</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Improving Communication Accessibility for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Transit Riders</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636144</link>
      <description><![CDATA[BACKGROUND

Public transportation agencies have made substantial progress in improving physical accessibility through investments in infrastructure, vehicle design, and wayfinding. Considerably less attention has been given to communication accessibility for riders who are deaf or hard of hearing, particularly during dynamic or unexpected travel conditions. Accessibility research has focused primarily on mobility and navigation, leaving transit agencies with limited guidance on effective communication strategies and technologies to support accessibility for individuals with hearing disabilities.

Advances in communication technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), real-time captioning, digital signage, mobile applications, assistive listening systems, video remote interpreting, and multimodal communication platforms, offer opportunities to improve accessible communication throughout the transit experience. Although many of these technologies are commercially available or being piloted by transit agencies, little is known about their operational readiness, effectiveness, scalability, customer acceptance, workforce implications, lifecycle costs, or integration with existing transit systems. Research is needed to evaluate communication technologies and their interaction with users, assess their applicability to public transportation environments, and develop guidance to help agencies implement accessible communication strategies that meet the needs of riders who are deaf or hard of hearing while benefiting a broad range of transit customers.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a decision-making framework and toolkit that enable public transportation agencies to identify, evaluate, select, deploy, and assess communication technologies and strategies that improve accessibility for riders who are deaf or hard of hearing and people who benefit from nonaudible communication.

RESEARCH PLAN

The TCRP is seeking proposals on how best to achieve the research objective. Proposers are expected to describe research plans that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and subaward time. Proposals must present the proposers' current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and the soundness of their approach to meeting the research objective.

The research team shall, at a minimum:

Review relevant research, federal regulations, guidance, standards, and current practices related to accessible communication.
Assess communication barriers encountered throughout the transit experience; and document the perspectives and technology needs of riders who are deaf or hard of hearing, transit personnel, and other populations who benefit from nonaudible communication.
Identify unmet communication needs, implementation barriers, and opportunities to leverage technology to improve communication accessibility.
Engage stakeholders, including riders who are deaf or hard of hearing, organizations serving the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, transit agency accessibility advisory committees, customer service personnel, other populations who benefit from nonaudible communication, and technology providers.
Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of existing and emerging communication technologies, including real-time and dynamic methods, to identify effective practices and develop performance measures and customer service metrics to evaluate communication accessibility.
Identify potential funding sources and implementation pathways to support the deployment of accessible communication technologies.
Develop recommendations for implementing emerging communication technologies, including innovative procurement and deployment strategies to improve accessible communication for riders who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The research plan shall describe appropriate deliverables (which also represent key project milestones), including:

An amplified research plan that addresses comments from the project panel at the subawardee selection meeting.
An interim report and panel meeting. The interim report should include the analyses and results of completed tasks, a plan for the remaining tasks, and a detailed outline of the final research product(s). The interim report should be submitted and the panel meeting should occur after the expenditure of 40 to 50 percent of the project budget.
Final deliverables should include:
Decision-making framework and toolkit to help public transportation agencies evaluate, select, deploy, and assess accessible communication technologies, including technology evaluation criteria, implementation considerations, procurement guidance, performance measures, and funding resources.
Conduct of research report documenting the full scope of the research.
Technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see item IV of the Important section).
Presentation slide deck summarizing the research findings, recommendations, and implementation considerations for use in webinars and other technology-transfer activities.
Note: Following receipt of the draft final deliverables, the remaining 3 months shall be for TCRP review and comment and for the research agency preparation of the final deliverables.

< < < IMPORTANT > > >

I. The brochure Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs includes extensive guidance on the preparation of acceptable proposals for submission to CRP. Revisions to these instructions are highlighted in yellow within that document.

II. Proposals will be rejected if any of the proposed research team members work for organizations represented on the project panel. The panel roster for this project can be found here. Proposers may not contact panel members directly; this roster is provided solely for the purpose of avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

III. The text of the final deliverable is expected to be publication ready when it is submitted. It is strongly recommended that the research team include the expertise of a technical editor as early in the project timeline as possible. See Appendix F of the Procedural Manual for Subawardees Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Program for technical editing standards expected in final deliverables.

IV. The required technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” should (a) provide recommendations on how to best put the research findings/products into practice; (b) identify possible institutions that might take leadership in applying the research findings/products; (c) identify issues affecting potential implementation of the findings/products and recommend possible actions to address these issues; and (d) recommend methods of identifying and measuring the impacts associated with implementation of the findings/products. Implementation of these recommendations is not part of the research project and, if warranted, details of these actions will be developed and implemented in future efforts.

V. The National Academies have an ethical and legal obligation to provide proper attribution whenever material from other sources is included in its reports, online postings, and other publications and products. TRB will review all Cooperative Research Programs draft final deliverables using the software iThenticate for potential plagiarism. If plagiarized text appears in the draft final deliverable, the research team will be required to make revisions and the opportunity to submit future proposals may be affected.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:52:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636144</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Rural Omnichannel Healthcare: A Demand-Centric Approach in Transportation System Design
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625868</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Entering its second year, the Rural Omnichannel Healthcare Project aims to enhance rural healthcare equity and accessibility by refining the deployment strategy of Telehealth Kiosks/Booths (TKBs). Grounded in Year 1's evidence, this phase deepens the understanding of the complex underlying demand dynamics for the use of TKBs. In particular, Year 2 aims to better understand both the currently unmet healthcare needs in rural areas and how these needs drive the demand for TKBs. Additionally, it investigates how the use of TKBs correlates with the demand for services at existing healthcare facilities. This phase also examines the geographical factors that influence the adoption and utilization of TKBs, exploring how location affects the effectiveness and popularity of these kiosks in enhancing rural healthcare access. Through rigorous empirical research, we aim to refine distance decay functions that describe how these factors impact healthcare access. These insights will inform the enhancement of our mathematical models, guiding the strategic deployment of TKBs to address the unmet needs and preferences of rural communities effectively. The project is set to offer innovative solutions that realistically improve healthcare access and quality, addressing rural healthcare disparities with precision. Through this comprehensive approach, Year 2 of the Rural Omnichannel Healthcare Project stands to significantly advance our understanding of the complexities of healthcare access in rural areas, bridging critical gaps and fostering a more equitable healthcare landscape.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 13:56:10 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2625868</guid>
    </item>
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