This repository is a sandbox for research needs that will support better decision-making and design through transportation planning analysis. These research needs are not necessarily fully thought-out yet and would benefit from collaborative refinement and widespread support. It is sponsored by the Transportation Research Board Committee on Planning Applications.
If you have a topic area that you think is a valid research need for our industry, you can add it to this list – even if you don't have a fully formed idea yet. If you see a topic that is on this site, but you are interested in it or have a perspective to add, you can edit it. Once an idea has a few interested parties and is sufficiently thought out, we can transfer it to the Research Needs Database.
To add or edit a research need:
- Get a GitHub Account
- "Fork" this repository
- Add your research need -or- edit somebody else's
- "Commit" your changes
- Submit a "Pull Request" to request that your changes go back into the main repository
You do not need to download any software in order to do this. It can all be completed through the web interface.
Nobody knows! That said, there is a fairly defined process for progressing transportation research through the National Academies of Sciences Transportation Research Board. However, that is just one possibility for progressing research needs. Another is contracting directly with a university either by yourself, using pooled funds, or via a research organization such as researcHQ.org. The TRB research needs process is discussed below.
TRB maintains a database of Research Needs that is updated by the TRB standing committee chairs and research coordinators. Research needs are often generated by committee research subcommittees, committee members, or committee friends.
How research needs are selected for funding varies widely depending on the research program.
For example, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Standing Committee on Research (SCOR) receives project nominations in mid-September. Problem statements can only be nominated by:
- Federal Highway Administration
- State DOTs
- AASHTO Committee chairs
The SCOR votes on research statements and they are announced in April.
TRB maintains a database on research in progress.
Completed research through these programs can be found in the TRID database.