BACKGROUND

NCHRP Research Report 1002: Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Strategies for Future Success is a practical resource for state departments of transportation (DOTs) and their metropolitan planning organization (MPO) partners to help address their evolving roles and face many of the challenges of the 21st century. It provides effective strategies for adaptation and improvement in a wide range of MPOs, varying in size, structure, resources, and regional context.

NCHRP Research Report 1002 also offers important guidance for MPOs on addressing issues in the post-COVID era. The topics and solutions discussed in Chapter 3, "Toolkit for the 21st Century," suggest successful approaches to emerging practices that can enhance the performance of MPOs across the United States. 

However, because the descriptions in the toolkit focus on general principles and concepts, it is important to operationalize these solutions within real MPO initiatives to demonstrate how the findings are replicable in a practical MPO setting. Therefore, an initial implementation effort is necessary to provide a strong foundation for incorporating NCHRP Research Report 1002 and to help state DOT and MPO staff understand and consider the most effective strategies for their jurisdiction or situation.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to develop innovative activities and resources to achieve greater adoption of the research results of NCHRP Research Report 1002 by state DOTs and MPOs.

RESEARCH PLAN

NCHRP is seeking the insights of proposers on how best to achieve the research objective. Proposers are expected to describe a research plan that can realistically be accomplished with the constraints of available funds and contract time. The work proposed must be divided into tasks, and proposers must describe the work proposed in each task. 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. 

To achieve the project objective, the research plan shall describe the following appropriate deliverables:

1. An implementation plan to achieve the project objective following the “NCHRP Active Implementation: Moving Research into Practice" requirements (see Special Note J). This plan should identify barriers and drivers that influence the implementation of NCHRP Research Report 1002, including any gaps or limitations, and recommend solutions to address those gaps or limitations as the budget permits. 

When developing the implementation plan, proposers should determine whether the following strategies effectively address the needs of the project objective. Proposers are encouraged to recommend modified or alternative strategies as the budget permits.

• Develop outreach efforts to state DOTs and their MPO partners on NCHRP Research Report 1002.
  • These efforts should include the participating organizations in NCHRP Project 08-122, “Metropolitan Planning Organizations: Strategies for Future Success.”
  • Statewide MPO advisory committees or similar entities should also be engaged.
• Develop in-person efforts to train and advise on the toolkit topics and solutions.
  • A potential list of state DOTs and their MPO partners should be developed, and appropriate efforts should be customized for each state DOT and their MPO partners.
  • Adequate representation of MPOs of differing sizes, geographic locations, and rural and urban areas should be considered when selecting state DOTs and their MPO partners.
• Document the success stories, lessons learned, and future plans of action, and develop visually compelling presentations.
  • This strategy should be accompanied by a plan detailing where and how the presentations would be hosted and maintained.
  • Strategies should also be developed for future updates of the presentations, including identifying the responsible parties.
  • This strategy should include considerations for incorporating existing materials, such as those created by NCHRP Research Report 1002.

Note: NCHRP shall approve the implementation plan before executing any tasks related to the envisioned deliverables.

2. A conduct of research report documenting the results of the project and a dissemination plan for the materials developed during the project.

Notes: 

In developing the research plan and tasks, proposers should build in appropriate checkpoints with the NCHRP project panel, including at a minimum (1) a kickoff web-enabled meeting to be held within 1 month of the contract’s execution date and (2) three additional web-enabled teleconferences tied to NCHRP review and approval of any interim deliverables as deemed appropriate.

All materials developed must be organized in a comprehensible and distributable format for future use by project participants and by other organizations not participating in this project.

The costs for any proposed in-person activities, including travel and other costs for all attendees, should be included in the detailed budget for the project. For estimating these costs, assume that in-person activities will be held at a TRB facility (the Keck Center in Washington, DC, or the Beckman Center in Irvine, CA). NCHRP will cover costs associated with NCHRP panel member travel. Catering services for all participants, including panel members, should be included in the detailed budget for the project.

Following receipt of the draft final deliverables, the remaining 3 months shall be for NCHRP review and comment and for contractor preparation of the final deliverables.

SPECIAL NOTES

A. The Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs were revised in May 2023. Please take note of the new and revised text which is highlighted in yellow. 

B. Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file with a maximum file size of 10 MB. The PDF must be formatted for standard 8 ½” X 11” paper, and the entire proposal must not exceed 60 pages (according to the page count displayed in the PDF). Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. For other requirements, refer to chapter V of the instructions.

C. The Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs have been modified to include a revised policy and instructions for disclosing Investigator Conflict of Interest. For more information, refer to chapter IV of the instructions. A detailed definition and examples can be found in the CRP Conflict of Interest Policy for Contractors. The proposer recommended by the project panel will be required to submit an Investigator Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form as a prerequisite for contract negotiations. 

D. 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 at https://www.mytrb.org/OnlineDirectory/Committee/Details/7044. Proposers may not contact panel members directly; this roster is provided solely for the purpose of avoiding potential conflicts of interest. 

E. Proprietary Products - If any proprietary products are to be used or tested in the project, please refer to Item 6 in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals.

F. Proposals are evaluated by the NCHRP staff and project panels consisting of individuals collectively knowledgeable in the problem area. The project panel will recommend their first choice proposal considering the following factors: (1) the proposer's demonstrated understanding of the problem; (2) the merit of the proposed research approach and experiment design; (3) the experience, qualifications, and objectivity of the research team in the same or closely related problem area; (4) the plan for ensuring application of results; (5) how the proposer approaches inclusion and diversity in the composition of their team and research approach, including participation by certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises; and, if relevant, (6) the adequacy of the facilities. A recommendation by the project panel is not a guarantee of a contract. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS - the contracting authority for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine) will conduct an internal due diligence review and risk assessment of the panel’s recommended proposal before contract negotiations continue. 

Note: The proposer's approach to inclusion and diversity as well as participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises should be incorporated in Item 11 of the proposal.

G. Copyrights - All data, written materials, computer software, graphic and photographic images, and other information prepared under the contract and the copyrights therein shall be owned by the National Academy of Sciences. The contractor and subcontractors will be able to publish this material for non-commercial purposes, for internal use, or to further academic research or studies with permission from TRB Cooperative Research Programs. The contractor and subcontractors will not be allowed to sell the project material without prior approval by the National Academy of Sciences. By signing a contract with the National Academy of Sciences, contractors accept legal responsibility for any copyright infringement that may exist in work done for TRB. Contractors are therefore responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for use of copyrighted material in TRB's Cooperative Research Programs publications. For guidance on TRB's policies on using copyrighted material please consult Section 5.4, "Use of Copyrighted Material," in the Procedural Manual for Contractors.

H. 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 Contractors Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Program for technical editing standards expected in final deliverables.

I. Proposals should include a task-by-task breakdown of labor hours for each staff member as shown in Figure 4 in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals. Proposals also should include a breakdown of all costs (e.g., wages, indirect costs, travel, materials, and total) for each task using Figures 5 and 6 in the brochure. Please note that TRB Cooperative Research Program subawards (selected proposers are considered subawards to the National Academy of Sciences, the parent organization of TRB) must comply with 2 CFR 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. These requirements include a provision that proposers without a "federally" Negotiated Indirect Costs Rate Agreement (NICRA) shall be subject to a maximum allowable indirect rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs. Modified Total Direct Costs include all salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each lower tier subaward and subcontract. Modified Total Direct Costs exclude equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each lower tier subaward and subcontract in excess of $25,000.

J. The implementation plan 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. 

For more information, refer to “NCHRP Active Implementation: Moving Research into Practice".

K. If the team proposes a Principal Investigator who is not an employee of the Prime Contractor, or if the Prime Contractor is proposed to conduct less than 50% of the total effort (by time or budget), then section five of the proposal should include: (1) a justification of why this approach is appropriate, and (2) a description of how the Prime Contractor will ensure adequate communication and coordination with their Subcontractors throughout the project.

L. All budget information should be suitable for printing on 8½″ x 11″ paper. If a budget page cannot fit on a single 8½″ x 11″ page, it should be split over multiple pages. Proposers must use the Excel templates provided in the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs. 

M. 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.