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 Transportation Research Board (TRB) is one of seven program units within the National Academies. Under TRB, there are four Cooperative Research Programs, one of which is the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP). Via applied research projects, ACRP generates products that address public-sector airport issues and support the development and operation of the U.S. airport industry. 

Recognizing the dynamic nature of the industry, a key goal of ACRP is to ensure the products continue to be relevant and are updated as needed. As ACRP matured and the library of products grew, the need for a systematic method for identifying the products with the greatest need for updating became apparent. 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 of the 10 research fields was developed in 2020 and has been refined.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this request for proposal (RFP) is to apply the 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) to review and recommend an initial set of products for updating within Research Field 7: Design and Research Field 8: Construction.

Interim deliverables should include (1) the initial draft of the research products spreadsheet by research field (see Step 2.1 in the Product Update Review Process Methodology); (2) a list of the industry stakeholder review group; and (3) any recommended changes to the methodology. 

The final deliverables will be a technical memo with recommendations for the products to be updated within Research Field 7: Design and Research Field 8: Construction. The memo should include, at minimum, a rationale for each recommendation and final prioritization, and an explanation of how the prioritization process was applied by research field. 

A research plan shall be provided as part of the proposal. If selected, the panel will provide comments on this research plan and an amplified research plan should be developed for review and approval by the panel. The research plan should also include checkpoints with the ACRP panel, including at a minimum (1) a kick-off web-enabled meeting to be held within 1 month of the Notice to Proceed; (2) a meeting following the delivery of the interim deliverables; and (3) an in-person final deliverable review meeting. The contractor will present the technical memo and incorporate final feedback from the panel into the final recommendations.

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