BACKGROUND

As transportation agencies strive to deliver community-centered transportation, practitioners must have reliable data, analytical tools, partners, and resources. Data enables transportation professionals and decision-makers to better understand the diversity of the communities they serve by illustrating community characteristics and needs, and highlights trends that inform transportation planning. Data inputs can include a variety of categories, such as demographic and socioeconomic. Data availability exists on multiple spectra: public to private, primary to tertiary, and freely available to purchased.

Developments in data and analytical techniques are fast evolving and could support transportation agencies in identifying (1) the visions and goals of their communities quantitatively or qualitatively and (2) disparities in access to the transportation that enables community success. As technology increases the number of data sources, there is a corresponding increase in the complexity, clarity, and questions about the fidelity of data for transportation agencies to consider as inputs. Additionally, safeguarding individual privacy and ensuring ethical use of data are paramount as this field develops. 

However, there are knowledge, capacity, and practice gaps in using data to understand communities. Challenges may include data accuracy, assumptions in analyses, accessibility of data, and identifying logical pairings between sources and uses of the data. Research is needed to better understand data opportunities and confront the challenges transportation agencies experience to enable planning for community-centered transportation. 

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this research is to develop a guide and data framework to empower transportation agencies to deliver community-centered transportation.

Accomplishment of the project objective will require at least the following tasks.

TASKS

Task descriptions are intended to provide a framework for conducting the research. The NCHRP is seeking the insights of proposers on how best to achieve the research objective. Proposers are expected to describe research plans that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and contract time. 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.

Phase I

The project should begin with background research, including a scan of the practice and a literature review (see Special Note L) regarding data opportunities for transportation planning activities to achieve community-centered transportation. Additionally, the research team should develop an engagement strategy for activities in all three phases of the research. In Phase I, the research team shall engage transportation professionals to gather information on primary, secondary, and tertiary data to gain an understanding of (1) the data state DOTs already collect, possess, or analyze, (2) the data that could be accessed through data sharing, and (3) data that can be purchased from private vendors. At the end of Phase I, the research team shall prepare the Phase I Interim Report and Updated Phase II Research Plan and participate in an in-person interim meeting. 

Note: For engagement, NCHRP discourages survey questionnaires for this project.

Phase II

The research team should develop a data opportunities catalog for public-sector users that includes the following activities:

(1) Identify available and new data to be developed, collected, and analyzed, but prioritize existing data collected by public and partner agencies.

(2) Evaluate data sets by use and source, including assumptions, limitations, uncertainties, and value of the data.

a. Flag compliance, privacy, and ethical considerations for using data.

b. Investigate the data sets by the user’s capacity, resources, and scale of investigations.

(3) Identify data partnering opportunities and challenges and data sharing agreements and protocols.

(4) Outline communication techniques to describe findings, data limitations, and uncertainty in discussion with various audiences such as the public, elected officials, and approving agencies.

The research team shall use the data opportunities catalog as the basis for creating a data framework which shall align the data opportunities with the key components of transportation planning for community-centered transportation. Components should include:

(1) Forecasting and modeling,

(2) Equity analyses,

(3) Scenario planning,

(4) Investment priorities,

(5) Links to asset managers’ recommended portfolio of improvement projects, or

(6) Methods for assessing and addressing the changes in community needs over time.

The framework shall also demonstrate effective practices through case examples or offer recommendations for each component to close knowledge, capacity, or practice gaps using the research findings. 

Before concluding Phase II, the research team shall engage the community of practice to vet the research outcomes at a workshop or through targeted focus groups. The participants should include practitioners from state departments of transportation (DOTs) and their partners. The Phase II Interim Report shall include a summary of findings from the engagement activities and a draft implementation plan for the project panel to prepare an application to the NCHRP 20-44 Implementation Support program. The Updated Phase III Research Plan shall finalize the concepts for the final deliverables with an annotated outline for the guide and data framework. The research team shall participate in a virtual interim meeting to present the Phase II findings to the NCHRP.

Phase III

The research team shall develop the final deliverables. For the proposal, the final deliverables shall include at least:

• The guide and data framework due no later than 4 months before contract expiration,
  
  
• An executive brief to build leadership buy-in for transportation agencies to access partner data through the creation of data sharing protocols or memoranda of understanding,
  
  
• A PowerPoint presentation with speaker notes that summarizes the project and distinctly illustrates for a broader audience how the research can be applied, and
  
  
• The final implementation plan (see Special Note M).
  

The final deliverables shall be reconsidered in the Updated Phase III Research Plan.

Note: The preparation of spreadsheet-based tools, software, a toolkit, or a playbook is discouraged.

The sequencing of tasks to achieve the research objective and associated deliverables (such as technical memoranda or summary reports) shall be structured in the same cadence as quarterly progress report (QPR) submissions so that technical content can be reviewed at the same time as a QPR. One month shall be reserved for review and NCHRP approval for each interim report. NCHRP approval is required to advance to the next phase. An in-person interim meeting shall follow Phase I, and a virtual interim meeting shall follow Phase II.

Note: Following receipt of the draft final deliverables, the remaining 3 months shall be for NCHRP review and comment and for research agency 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 2024. 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/7061. 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 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. Provided that the topic of this research includes a focus on equity, proposers are strongly encouraged to identify a certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) on their proposed research team.

H. 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.

I. 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.

J. 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. 

K. NCHRP wishes to award this contract for a fixed price of $425,000; this amount will not be subject to any adjustment by reason of the contractor's cost experience in the performance of the contract.

L. Proposers are expected to build on existing research and minimize duplication of effort. At a minimum, the following projects or publications should be reviewed during the preparation of the proposal:

• Steudle, K., J. Kalinski, E. Enarson-Hering, L. Pickett, B. Bream, S. Martinovich, D. Miller, and S. Lockwood. 2023. NCHRP RRD 404: Collective and Individual Actions to Envision and Realize the Next Era of America's Transportation Infrastructure: Phase 1. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/27263.
  
  
• Transportation Research Board Executive Committee. 2024. Critical Issues in Transportation for 2024 and Beyond. Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC. https://doi.org/10.17226/27432.
  
  
• NCHRP Project 08-161, “Cultivating Accountability through Meaningful Public Engagement”

M. The required technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” 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. Implementation of these recommendations is not part of the research project and, if warranted, details of these actions will be developed and implemented in future efforts.

The research team will be expected to provide input to an implementation team consisting of panel members, AASHTO committee members, the NCHRP Implementation Coordinator, and others in order to meet the goals of NCHRP Active Implementation: Moving Research into Practice, available at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/docs/NCHRP_ActiveImplementation.pdf

N. 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.

O. 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. 

P. 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.