BACKGROUND 

The Safe System Approach (SSA) is a comprehensive approach to road safety that works by building and reinforcing multiple layers of protection to prevent crashes and minimize harm when crashes occur. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), and others are working to increase awareness and adoption of SSA. The U.S. DOT has developed numerous resources to support state implementation of SSA. State DOTs and AASHTO are working to complement those efforts. Guides and other resources under development will address some needs but not all of them. 

Research is needed to develop tools to support state DOTs and other transportation agencies in adopting SSA, recognizing that deployment often occurs through changes in individual principles or activities. Tools to support implementation will allow state DOTs and other transportation agencies to begin incorporating SSA concepts to facilitate the elimination of traffic deaths and serious injuries. International experience shows SSA will be applied somewhat differently based on the culture, context, and needs of individual agencies and communities. 

OBJECTIVE 

The objective of this project is to develop a toolkit with tools, methods, and process models to support decision-making in implementing SSA throughout the transportation project life cycle and across project types and functional disciplines (e.g., designers, planners, maintenance, and operations staff) as a complement to higher-level guidance and practices. 

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. The research approach should not include surveys. 

PHASE I

Task 1. Review and assess international and domestic tools, both existing and under development, for applying SSA. NCHRP Project 17-132, “Toolkit to Support Implementation of the Safe System Approach,” should build on and complement other SSA research activities and avoid duplication. The effort shall focus on decision-making tools and practices that use a holistic definition of safety in analyzing exposure to, the likelihood of, and severity of crashes to maintain safe mobility for all road users. Proposers may consider safety approaches adopted by other transportation modes, such as commercial air travel. 

Task 2. Identify gaps in existing tools and tools under development that, if filled, could support the implementation of SSA at the planning, project development, maintenance, operations, and program levels, such as (but not limited to) equitable consideration of all road users, kinetic energy considerations, self-enforcing and self-explaining roads, reduced likelihood of human errors, climate considerations, and incorporating knowledge from the AASHTO Highway Safety Manual. 

Task 3. Develop a research work plan to be executed in Phase II to accomplish the research objective. The work plan will focus on developing a scalable, configurative, and user-friendly integrated toolkit. The toolkit should be sensitive to data availability, transportation agency staffing limitations, and the degree of training required to apply the toolkit. At a minimum, the toolkit shall support and inform decision-making in the following functional areas:   

• Funding allocation
• Project definition (e.g., scoping)
• Design and operational decision-making
• Workforce development
• Construction change orders
• Program and project evaluation
• Operations and maintenance 

A user guide to support practitioners’ understanding and use of the toolkit and an annotated outline for the toolkit shall also be developed as part of Task 3. 

Task 4. Prepare Interim Report No. 1, which documents the work completed in Tasks 1 through 3. Update the work plan proposed for Phase II. 

Note: Following a 1-month review of Interim Report No. 1 by the NCHRP, the research team will be required to meet with the NCHRP project panel remotely to discuss the interim report. Work on Phase II of the project will not begin until authorized by the NCHRP. Phase I shall be limited to $70,000. 

PHASE II 

Task 5. Execute the work plan according to the approved Interim Report No. 1 to achieve the research objective. 

Task 6. Make all preparations for a workshop with at least 15 diverse representatives of state DOTs and other transportation agencies to (1) demonstrate the draft toolkit developed in Task 5 and (2) collect participant feedback on the application of the toolkit to attendee-provided real-world scenarios, representing various contexts. At a minimum, workshop preparations shall include issuing invitations to NCHRP-approved participants and preparing a final list of attendees; asking workshop participants to provide examples of real-world scenarios for use in testing the application of the draft toolkit; providing travel support for workshop attendees (other than panel members and NCHRP staff); providing catering services for all participants, including panel members; preparing name tags for all participants; and preparing PowerPoint presentations and any handouts.

Note: The costs for the workshop, including invitational travel for at least 15 attendees (not including members of the research team), should be included in the detailed budget for the research. For the purpose of estimating these costs, assume that the workshop will be held at a TRB facility (Keck Center in Washington, DC, or the Beckman Center in Irvine, CA). NCHR 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 research.

Task 7. Submit a draft toolkit for NCHRP review. Revise the draft toolkit as needed. 

Task 8. Conduct an in-person workshop, as planned for in Task 6, to demonstrate the draft toolkit and collect feedback. 

Task 9. Refine the draft toolkit based on workshop participant feedback and assessment of the toolkit made during the workshop. 

Task 10. Propose one or more state DOTs to pilot test the draft toolkit to demonstrate and test the applicability of the toolkit to support and inform decision-making in the functional areas identified in Task 3. Provide evidence of support from one or more DOTs and, if relevant, local transportation agencies. Pilot testing should be conducted in both rural and urban contexts, with consideration of equity. 

Task 11. Prepare Interim Report No. 2, which documents the work completed in Tasks 5 through 10. Update the work proposed for Phase III. 

Note: Following a 1-month review of Interim Report No. 2 by the NCHRP, the research team will be required to meet with the NCHRP project panel in-person in Washington, DC to discuss the interim report. Work on Phase III of the project will not begin until authorized by the NCHRP. 

PHASE III 

Task 12. Conduct a pilot test of the draft toolkit with one or more state DOTs. 

Task 13. Prepare outreach materials to support practitioners’ understanding and use of the research findings. 

Task 14. Prepare Interim Report No. 3 that documents the work completed in Tasks 12 and 13. 

Note: Following a 1-month review of Interim Report No. 3 by the NCHRP, the research team will be required to meet with the NCHRP project panel remotely to discuss the interim report. Work on Phase IV of the project will not begin until authorized by the NCHRP. 

PHASE IV 

Task 15. Final deliverables should include (1) a final research report documenting the entire research effort and findings; (2) a toolkit to support the implementation of SSA; (3) outreach materials to support practitioners’ understanding and use of the research findings; (4) a PowerPoint presentation with presenter’s notes summarizing the research findings; (5) prioritized recommendations for future research; and (6) a technical memorandum on implementation (see Special Note J). 

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 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/7078. 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 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

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.