BACKGROUND

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine provide independent, objective analysis and advice to inform policy with evidence, spark progress and innovation, and confront challenging issues for the benefit of society. The work of the private, nonprofit National Academies is grounded in the expertise of three academies — National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine. For more information about the Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org.

The National Academies consist of seven program units, one of which is the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Established in 1920, TRB annually engages more than 8,500 engineers, scientists, and transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest by participating in TRB committees, panels, and task forces. One program unit within TRB is the Cooperative Research Programs, which includes the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP). ACRP provides products developed from applied research for the U.S. airport industry. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the industry, a key goal of ACRP is to ensure our products continue to be relevant by updating them as needed.  As ACRP matured and our library of products grew, the need for a systematic method for identifying the products with the greatest need for updating became apparent.

ACRP research is categorized into 10 research fields. To meet a key goal of the ACRP Strategic Plan, the ACRP oversight committee approved and funded the development of a systematic method to identify and prioritize research products in need of an update. A methodology (https://www.nationalacademies.org/webdocs/acrp_product_update_review_methodology_may_2024/ACRP_Product_Update_Review_Methodology_May_2024.pdf?channelToken=b9515dcea9b44b1caeec286a25accf32&download=false&tStamp=1716321441525) for reviewing the products in each field was developed in 2020 and has been refined.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this RFP is to identify a qualified contractor to review and recommend an initial set of products for updating within Research Field 10: Operations. The proposal should follow the process outlined in this RFP.

The process for identifying the projects to be updated should include at minimum the process outlined in ACRP Research Field Product Update Review Process, provided at: https://www.nationalacademies.org/webdocs/acrp_product_update_review_methodology_may_2024/ACRP_Product_Update_Review_Methodology_May_2024.pdf?channelToken=b9515dcea9b44b1caeec286a25accf32&download=false&tStamp=1716321441525. 

STATUS: RESEARCH IN PROCESS