BACKGROUND

The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) conducts applied research to develop practical, ready-to-implement products that address pressing problems in the airport industry. ACRP is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Research is conducted by contractors with oversight provided by volunteer panels of expert stakeholders. TRB activities provide significant benefits including networking with the professional community, receiving valuable and timely information about ongoing research, and contributing to the broader transportation community. 

ACRP currently manages two academic engagement programs: the Graduate Research Award (GRA) and the University Design Competition (UDC). The two programs have had a major impact on building excitement around and attracting students to the airport industry. At the same time, the airport industry recognizes a continued need to increase the number and diversity of young people exploring and entering its workforce in technical and nontechnical disciplines. In responding to these industry challenges, it is increasingly clear that it would be beneficial to begin engaging students at the secondary education level.  ACRP is exploring how the experiences and successes of the GRA and UDC could be leveraged for developing a new program or supporting existing ones.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this research are to (1) develop an ACRP WebResource that inventories existing secondary education programs in the aviation/aerospace field operated by traditional aviation and non-traditional institutions; and (2) make recommendations to the ACRP about supporting existing secondary education programs and/or developing a new secondary education challenge program with a focus on airport topics and issues. 

RESEARCH PLAN

The research plan should include deliverables, for ACRP and panel review and approval, that include at a minimum (1) an outreach plan to review and assess current secondary education programs and (2) an interim report that provides a summary and findings of the outreach plan, an initial set of draft recommendations, and an updated work plan for concluding the project.

The research plan should include checkpoints with the ACRP panel, including at a minimum (1) a kick-off teleconference meeting to be held within 1 month of the Notice to Proceed and (2) one face-to-face meeting for reviewing the interim report and discussing the draft recommendations, as well as web-enabled teleconferences tied to the panel review and ACRP approval of other interim deliverables deemed appropriate.

The final deliverables will include: (1) the WebResource; (2) the recommendations; (3) a Summary of Key Findings; (4) a Further Recommended Research Memo; and (5) a technical memo titled, “Implementation of Research Findings and Products”. 

STATUS: Proposals have been received in response to the RFP.  The project panel will meet to select a contractor to perform the work.