ATTENTION PROPOSERS: This NCHRP project will be conducted in an accelerated timeline. Proposers shall assemble teams possessing the needed expertise and workload availability to meet the scope and contract time requirements. The amplified research plan, quarterly, and monthly reports may be combined or waived for this NCHRP project.

BACKGROUND

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and applications (hereafter “AI tools”) usage has grown exponentially in the last few years. Some AI tools were developed and implemented by state and local departments of transportation (DOTs) to solve transportation challenges. However, many AI tools within the transportation industry are maturing or were implemented by early adopters, and the implementation results may not be well known by the transportation industry.

Other issues need to be considered when developing and adopting AI tools. For instance, effective communication plays an important role in the day-to-day use of responsible AI tools; if AI-generated results are not communicated and explained properly, it could lead to stakeholder skepticism about results and processes.

Research is needed to gather independent data on the conception, deployment, and communication strategies of AI tools in the transportation domain. This information will help state DOTs and other transportation agencies successfully adopt AI tools and profit from their benefits.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to develop a briefing document to capture successful AI tool use cases in transportation.

The main target audience for this briefing document is DOT chief executive officers (CEOs) and senior managers. The briefing document will help state DOTs and other transportation agencies understand and replicate effective and successful uses of AI tools in transportation, develop candidate policies to maintain the public’s and stakeholders’ trust, and advance the use of other AI tools in transportation.

At a minimum, the research shall:

• Investigate transportation agencies to identify AI tool use cases. The investigation shall determine the availability and access to related information to support the documentation of use cases;
• Develop a method to select successful AI tool use cases;
• Determine relevant information to be included for each use case. Each documented AI tool use case will include but not be limited to:
  • The transportation agency functional area (e.g., construction, human resources, planning, maintenance) in which the AI tool was deployed;
  • Background, qualitative, and quantitative assessments of the AI tool;
  • Resources needed for the procurement, including general costs;
  • Strategies used to overcome implementation challenges (i.e., technology, cyber security, data quality management);
  • Operation and maintenance of AI tool; and
  • Benefits for the transportation agency.
• Develop an annotated outline of the briefing document;
• Apply the method to select AI use cases for the briefing document. Select at least one AI tool application that was not successful to include in the briefing document; and
• Develop briefing document.

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

TASKS

Proposers are asked to develop and present a detailed research plan to accomplish the project objective. The research plan must be divided into tasks and proposers must describe the work proposed in each task. Proposers are expected to present a research plan that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and subaward time. Proposals shall: (1) present the proposer’s current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate their understanding of the issues and the soundness of their approach for meeting the research objective; (2) identify data and data sources that may be used to undertake this research, and (3) propose a format(s) of the final research product(s). 

The research plan shall describe the appropriate deliverables that include, but are not limited to, the following (which may also represent key project milestones):

1. An interim report and panel meeting. The interim report should include the analyses and results of completed tasks, an update of the remaining tasks, and detailed outlines of the final research product(s).  A panel meeting will take place after the panel review of the interim report. The interim report and panel meeting should occur after the expenditure of no more than 35% of the project budget. Work on subsequent tasks will not begin until NCHRP approval of the interim report.

2. Final research product(s):

• Briefing document intended for DOT executives and senior managers;
• A conduct of research report that documents all research efforts, including strategies and recommendations for successfully deploying and replicating AI tools in transportation; and
• A presentation with detailed presenter notes summarizing the findings of the research.

3. A technical memorandum titled “Implementation of Research Findings and Products” (see Special Note K.)

Note: The research plan may include additional deliverables as well as additional panel meetings via teleconference.

Note: For budgeting purposes, the proposer shall plan on having one in-person panel meeting in Washington, DC. Costs for the in-person meeting venue and travel costs for NCHRP panel members will be paid separately by NCHRP.

SPECIAL NOTES

A. NCHRP will award the subaward for NCHRP Project 20-24(151) for a fixed price of $100,000. This amount will not be subject to any adjustment by reason of the research team's cost experience in the performance of the subaward. In addition to providing a detailed budget, the proposer shall provide a proposed schedule for progress payments tied to the detailed budget and project schedule, including a final payment at the end of the subaward representing 20% of the value of the subaward. Panel meetings (virtual and in-person) in addition to deliverables due dates per the research plan schedule may be outlined in the subaward to ensure adherence to the project timeline.

B. Revisions to the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs are highlighted in yellow within that document.

C. 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.

D. 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 Subawardees. The proposer recommended by the project panel will be required to submit an Investigator Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Form as a prerequisite for subaward negotiations.

E. 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/7179. Proposers may not contact panel members directly; this roster is provided solely for the purpose of avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

F. 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.

G. 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; and, if relevant, (5) the adequacy of the facilities. A recommendation by the project panel is not a guarantee of a subaward. 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 subaward negotiations continue.

H. Copyrights - All data, written materials, computer software, graphic and photographic images, and other information prepared under the subaward and the copyrights therein shall be owned by the National Academy of Sciences. The subawardee and lower-tier subawardees 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 subawardee and lower-tier subawardees will not be allowed to sell the project material without prior approval by the National Academy of Sciences. By signing a subaward with the National Academy of Sciences, subawardees accept legal responsibility for any copyright infringement that may exist in work done for TRB. Subawardees 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 Subawardees.

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 Subawardees 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 selected proposers are considered subawards to the National Academy of Sciences, the parent organization of TRB. TRB Cooperative Research Program subawards 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) or audited indirect rates shall be subject to a maximum allowable indirect rate of 15% of Modified Total Direct Costs (de minimis rate). Modified Total Direct Costs include all salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each lower-tier subaward. 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 in excess of $50,000.

K. 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

L. If the subawardee 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 subawardee will ensure adequate communication and coordination with their lower-tier subawardees throughout the project.

M. 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.

N. 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.