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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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    <item>
      <title>Transforming Transportation with an Innovative and Talented Workforce: A Transportation Careers Workshop</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689410</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The proposed event will be a two-day workshop in Durango, Colorado, at both Fort Lewis College and another community site or high school, featuring several key presentations and a panel discussion. The first day will consist of speakers and presentations. The second day will consist of interactive feedback at separate locations regarding the results of vocational assessment inventories. The target population of workshop participants will be high school and college students interested in learning more about careers in the transportation industry. Participants will complete surveys and career-planning instruments and receive detailed interpretations of their results to help them narrow their career choices. Representatives from trucking, transit, state DOTs, and the supply chain industry will be invited to participate as experts, delivering presentations that describe careers and opportunities in the transportation industry. In addition, there will be an interactive session to help participants prioritize their vocational interests and preferences. Lastly, a networking event with presenters will also be arranged.

In addition to providing career information on activities, salaries, and other employment and career opportunities in the transportation industry, the proposed workshop will also address two main needs regarding the recruitment of potential entrants to the transportation industry. First, identify a transportation career profile for prospective applicants to target highly congruent candidates for the industry. This profile will provide researchers with an opportunity to develop an interest and preference profile of prospective students whose interests are congruent with the industry. Identifying those persons who are likely to be congruent allows outreach efforts to be tailored and targeted, and limited funds and resources to be used more effectively. Second, a short, easy-to-use web page that could assist students in obtaining information about transportation careers in general, with a brief survey or questionnaire to help narrow down interests in transportation careers, which then directs users to more targeted information. This web page could then be made available to other UTC programs that conduct transportation and career outreach events. The web page will be used to tally hits, and requests for applications will help more accurately measure the impact of the workshop's outreach efforts. This outreach project will also incorporate the development and implementation of a prototype webpage to evaluate the workshop and serve other UTCs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:37:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2689410</guid>
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    <item>
      <title>Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) and Beyond</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2666833</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the United States navigates the Fourth Industrial Revolution - defined by the convergence of physical, digital, and biological technologies - STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has become increasingly vital to preparing students for the future workforce. Transportation, a sector undergoing rapid technological transformation, is deeply intertwined with STEM and plays a critical role in shaping economic development, public safety, and access to essential services. Yet, many K-12 students, particularly in rural areas, lack exposure to high-quality STEM learning opportunities.  The Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) was established through funding from the CR2C2 REE program to address this gap by providing portable, hands-on STEM experiences that fuse transportation technology demonstrations with project-based learning. This project will expand AMIL’s effort in projects R-EWD-1 and R-EWD-2, and increases the reach and impact by partnering with the University of Alabama’s robust K–12 STEM Education Outreach program, creating a collaborative model for multi-university engagement and STEM education. Together, these programs will deliver enriched STEM experiences that emphasize emerging transportation technologies, autonomous systems, and the STEM principles behind their development and operation. The initiative will culminate in two regional events - one in Alabama and one in North Carolina - featuring autonomous vehicle demonstrations and showcasing student learning outcomes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:46:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2666833</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>University of Miami’s National Summer Transportation Institute (UM)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663224</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Already inhabited by more than 50% of the population and contributing to more than 55% of the nation's gross domestic product (GDP), coastal regions are still continuing to grow and attract people. At the same time, coastal regions are facing increasing threats from erosion and flooding caused by chronic events  like heavy rainfall, as well as discrete extreme events such as hurricanes. These events put people and properties, as well as the region's economies, in harm's way. It is through deliberate and strategic investments in STEM education, outreach and workforce initiatives, that the USDOT has the workforce to meet challenges, while advancing and maintaining our technological superiority.
The University of Miami (UM) is requesting to host the National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) program to encourage the younger generations into the STEM disciplines and coastal transportation infrastructure. Activities will include lectures, laboratory hands-on activities, and fun competitions related to coastal transportation infrastructure. Participants will engage in science rich activities, and develop critical thinking, teamwork, and career development skills. The PI was the director of the 2024 CREATE UM NSTI as well as 2015-2017 UM NSTI funded by FHWA and has the experience and expertise in transportation outreach programs. The following points include the goals that the NSTI program at the University of Miami seeks to accomplish. (1) Provide an exciting and effective summer program that will depict the principles, applications and challenges of the STEM fields through use of lessons, teamwork, group activities, competitions and field trips. (2) Create awareness of the coastal transportation industry and its career opportunities. (3) Encourage high school students toward the STEM disciplines by educating them on transportation engineering career opportunities. (4) Develop teamwork, problem solving, computer, writing and reporting skills to enable high school students to excel in their intended STEM field.


The University of Miami will conduct recruitment procedures through several media to select interested and enthusiastic high school students to participate in the summer program. The following media will be implemented to recruit students for the summer program: Flyers, Website, social media, school visits, information sessions.

Program Curriculum: (Week 1: 2nd week of July) Weekly Objective: Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of engineering. As the week progresses, the components of transportation engineering will be explored. The focus of this week will be on the explanation of advanced and high-performance construction materials used in the various modes of coastal transportation infrastructure, the importance of safety in transportation engineering, the different types of transportation structures and vehicles, and the new technological advancements in the coastal transportation infrastructure engineering industry. In addition, this week will also discuss the engineering of airport terminals and airplanes. (Week 2: 3rd week of July) Weekly Objectives: Students will learn about the emerging technologies for enhancing safety and resilience in coastal transportation infrastructure. Students will become familiar with the other modes of transportation, including water, and continue to learn about the air transportation.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:57:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663224</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Quick-Response Research on Long-Term Strategic Issues. Task 56. Student Fare Programs to Increase Ridership</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636148</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Public transportation agencies across the U.S. have implemented student fare and pass programs in order to broaden their ridership base and provide new agency revenue streams. There exist a wide variety of programs and fare offerings for both university and secondary students, with different goals and funding sources.  Research suggests that exposure to high-quality transit in one’s 20s and 30s increases the likelihood of using transit later in life. Encouraging transit use by students can have positive long-term ridership impacts for the entire transit industry. 

TCRP Synthesis 131 examined university pass programs in a limited way in 2018. Since then, many more agencies have adopted these programs. Student fare programs vary widely depending on transit market, regional operating structure, fare systems, and types of institutions served.

Public transit agencies seeking to adopt new student fare programs or expand an existing program face uncertainty regarding costs, program feasibility, impacts on ridership and operations, and overall benefits. Research into the wide variety of student fare programs would assist in these evaluations.

The objective of this research is to provide information to assist transit agencies and policymakers in adopting and expanding student fare programs.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:08:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636148</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SAFE Schools For Safer Future
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628212</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Seatbelts Are For Everyone (SAFE) is a Kansas state initiative program launched in 2008 by DCCCA Inc. (Developing Caring Communities Committed to Action) to increase teen restraint compliance through education, positive reinforcement, and enforcement. This teen-led, peer-to-peer program aims to reduce the number of teen motor vehicle injuries and fatalities. The SAFE program has been a component of the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office (KTSRO) for over a decade. The program was expanded to Oklahoma and Missouri in 2014 and 2016 respectively, and Iowa adopted the program in 2021. 
The goal of the current research project is to understand the efficacy of the SAFE program through a multifaceted approach. This project will be conducted in two parts; the first part includes surveying high school students on the topics of seatbelt, traffic laws and other safe driving behaviors covered by the SAFE program that can help in understanding their attitudes, perceptions, knowledge and experience regarding road safety and how it differs between students participating SAFE and non-SAFE schools. In addition, this part will also include socioeconomic analysis to determine the influence of equity factors on the driving behaviors and perception of Kansas teen drivers. The second part of the study will include conducting literature review, examining Kansas fatal and serious injury crashes involving teens over a 13-year period, from 2010 to 2023, and their potential contributing factors, identifying various safety programs, best practices and initiatives across the nation focused on improving teen safety and emphasizing the importance of educating and training young drivers during their early driving phases. It is critical to instill safe driving behavior for young people from an early age to foster a safety culture and better mobility in the future.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:27:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2628212</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Multi-State Assessment of Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2571989</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will consist of testing the implementation of the Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) program in multiple states to reach underserved K-12 students in rural and urban core areas of the southeast. The portable STEM lab will fuse transportation technology demonstrations with project-based STEM activities to expose students to advanced technologies and educate them about the STEM principles used to develop and operate such systems. The project will include the refinement of tools and plans developed in a prior project (R-EWD-1), the enhancement of this partnership with other CR2C2 consortium members along with two test events one in Tennessee and one in North Carolina that includes the demonstration of an autonomous vehicle.  

This project will continue the development of the AMIL program. AMIL’s are mobile STEM laboratories used to demonstrate existing and newly developed mobility technologies and serve as a resource to teach STEM content using advanced transportation technology-themed problem-based learning activities. The concept is analogous to “Bookmobiles” or “Libraries-on-Wheels” that have been used for decades to take books to underserved areas to inspire children to read, but the AMIL program focuses on developing STEM skills rather than reading.  
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2025 14:24:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2571989</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Transformative and Innovative Work in Transportation</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2567114</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The proposed project is designed to increase participants’ likelihood of accepting a position in the transportation industry with the potential for developing innovative and transformative approaches and solutions to transportation challenges and opportunities. To achieve this goal a one-day workshop attended by undergraduates and prospective students interested in learning more about the transportation industry will be conducted. The workshop will consist of invited addresses by transportation professionals, university faculty and others who have a deep knowledge and understanding of the transportation industry. The participants will also be asked to complete a series of vocational interest inventories designed to assist in matching interest’s preferences and values with the opportunities, task, mission, and activities of transportation companies and agencies. Interactive exercises, group discussion, and short videos will be utilized to convey information and increase awareness of opportunities in the industry.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Jun 2025 14:56:05 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2567114</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Inspire Future Transportation &amp; Civil Engineers: Summer Camp at the University of Hartford</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2566909</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In recent years, the field of transportation and civil engineering faces a critical challenge in attracting and inspiring young students, specifically those in high school and middle school, to pursue careers in these disciplines. The number of students choosing these majors at universities is declining. As stated in 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) president note: “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a need for about 25,000 new civil engineers each year throughout this decade. However, this number is based on the need to replace workers; … Moody’s estimates that infrastructure projects will create 883,600 jobs by 2030 and per capita income will increase by 10.5% as a result.” There is a growing need for skilled professionals in these fields to address the evolving infrastructure demands of society. To improve the workforce shortage situation, the proposed project is to organize a civil engineering summer camp, with a focus on transportation engineering, at the University of Hartford in summer 2025. This project aims to achieve the following objectives: Foster awareness and cultivate interest among young students in the fields of transportation and civil engineering; Establish a sustainable framework to inspire and educate future generations of transportation and civil engineering professionals; Contribute to the long-term impact on workforce development and community engagement in the fields of transportation and civil engineering.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:14:35 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2566909</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>First Year Program to Promote Students in Transportation Cybersecurity Education and Careers</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2559303</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project, led by the USDOT Tier-1 University Transportation Center CYBER-CARE, is designed to address critical cybersecurity challenges within the transportation sector through education and workforce development. Recognizing the increased vulnerability of transportation systems due to digital interconnectedness, the project aims to cultivate a skilled workforce ready to meet these security demands. To ensure the program aligns closely with industry needs, the research team is including transportation sector leaders and stakeholders in the project team. This collaboration will allow the research team to identify and integrate essential skills and knowledge required within the transportation sector into the curriculum. The project will also leverage these industry experts in the evaluation phase, utilizing their insights to refine program content and confirm its applicability to real-world challenges. In partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), this project seeks to engage high school and university students through seminars, summer camps, and tailored cybersecurity courses, creating an effective educational pathway toward careers in transportation cybersecurity.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 21:39:48 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2559303</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Framework for Transportation Systems Management and Operations Curricula
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558371</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) is a set of strategies focused on operational improvements that maintain and restore the performance of existing transportation systems before additional capacity is required. A wide range of careers falls under TSMO, including intelligent transportation system (ITS) engineers, traffic management control operators, and data scientists. Growing and developing the TSMO workforce requires multiple approaches and strategies, from educating students about TSMO careers to preparing existing professionals from other fields to transition into TSMO roles.

Several resources exist to advance the knowledge, skills, and abilities of TSMO practitioners. For example, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Transportation Operations Manual serves as a resource for transportation agencies to develop and sustain the operational capabilities and strategies needed to preserve and optimize system performance. The Operations Academy is a training program designed for mid- to high-level managers whose current or future responsibilities include TSMO. The National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) TSMO Workforce Development website provides a variety of additional resources. However, few initiatives focus on individuals who have not yet entered, or are new to, the TSMO workforce.

Research is needed to help educational organizations develop and align curricula that introduce TSMO concepts, build relevant skills, and connect students with career opportunities in the field.

The objective of this research is to develop a framework for educators to establish recruitment pipelines that expand the talent pool and enhance the competencies of candidates entering the TSMO workforce.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 May 2025 13:03:14 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2558371</guid>
    </item>
    <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>UTC-UTI Summer Tunnel Camps for Grade School Students (UTI-UTC 41)
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2543431</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The UTC-UTI Summer Tunnel Camps aim to introduce grade school students to the field of underground transportation infrastructure through immersive, hands-on educational experiences. These camps are designed to spark early interest in engineering and geosciences by combining classroom instruction with engaging field and laboratory activities centered around tunneling and subsurface construction. Participants explore fundamental concepts such as soil mechanics, tunnel design, and sustainability through experiments, site visits, and interactive demonstrations. By partnering with educators and leveraging university resources, the program seeks to build STEM awareness and inspire the next generation of infrastructure professionals. The initiative also promotes diversity in engineering by targeting underrepresented communities and providing accessible, mentorship-driven learning environments.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2025 16:38:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2543431</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mississippi Summer Transportation Institute -2025</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2536177</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Mississippi Summer Transportation Institute (MSTI) Program aims at introducing a group of motivated pre-college students (10th to 12th grade) to the transportation industry. During the two-week program, students will participate in academic and enhancement activities designed to improve their skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and leadership.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:24:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2536177</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Virtual Immersive Simulation for Training with Drones (VISTA)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526443</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are viewed as crucial elements in the ecology of smart cities and mobility, their rapid advancement has transformed industries ranging from agriculture and logistics to emergency response and environmental monitoring. As the utilization of UAS continues to expand in various industrial sectors and play an increasingly vital role in modern society, there is an increasing need to train and prepare UAS pilots who will be capable of navigating complex operational environments and adhering to regulatory standards. This research will develop a cost-effective, accessible, and safe training approach that will equip prospective UAS pilots with the necessary skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience.  This project will design and deliver an educational digital experience to both K-12 and higher education students who are interested in pursuing a career as UAS (also known as drone) pilots. 

Traditional UAS training approaches often require significant resources including a special training environment and equipment, which presents barriers to educational institutions. This project will investigate a Virtual Reality (VR)-based immersive hands-on drone operations training program designed to introduce K-12 and higher education students to foundational concepts, basic maneuvering, and advanced applications of UAS operations. VR technology offers a unique opportunity to simulate realistic drone operation scenarios providing a cost-effective, immersive approach to UAS training, enabling K-12 and higher education institutions with limited resources to offer hands-on experience to a broader range of students without the need for physical drones. Additionally, as it allows new pilots and learners to practice essential skills and safety protocols in a virtual space, VR technology mitigates the risks and costs associated with inexperience, ensuring both learner safety and equipment preservation.
              ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 08:33:54 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526443</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of AR/VR-Enhanced Tools for STEAM-Integrated Education</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526442</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Technological advances have given unprecedented cause and fresh opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration in public transportation and related fields. Given this cross-functional momentum and with awareness of the present technological revolution in public transportation, a new educational approach is required of those stakeholders tasked with navigating the future landscape of supporting careers. Such workforce development stakeholders include kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) educators, career technical educators, employers, and, of course, the students themselves, who must be age-appropriately inspired, empowered, and equipped. In response, DriveOhio has developed an Educator Toolkit to provide effective resources to these stakeholders by which Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math (STEAM)-integrated education may be facilitated, and career outreach programs may be advanced.

The interdisciplinary opportunity sought by this project and necessarily inherent to STEAM-integrated education is answered by the collaboration and the unique breadth of experience provided by the submitting research team. Specifically, the research team represents the past and present work of two complementary Student Transportation Advancement Research (STAR) projects, each with novel contributions to DriveOhio's Educator Toolkit and the referenced stakeholders it aims to serve. 

This project is intended as a bridge between the previous STAR projects, a continuation of their shared efforts and goals, and a means by which the entire DriveOhio Educator Toolkit may be advanced. This project will provide an educational platform for teachers to use in a K-12 context, consisting of various future scenario modules where students can learn about the next generations of technologies, the vehicles that they will enable, and the infrastructure required to sustain such innovation.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 08:21:40 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2526442</guid>
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