State departments of transportation (DOTs) are facing an increasing demand to promptly address new transportation challenges and unprecedented changes. Traditional research processes are lengthy to complete, leaving state DOTs without timely insights needed to respond to urgent issues such as environmental impacts, infrastructure failures, or safety concerns. This large time gap between an emergent issue and the research response negatively impacts the ability to maintain a safe, resilient, and efficient transportation network and has rippling effects on the economy, the environment, and the public. State DOTs are required to adapt to these changes swiftly and with agility, yet the current research mechanism often struggles to keep pace.

The objective of this research is to develop a streamlined process for state DOTs to quickly gather, assess, and share research insights, or “rapid research,” that will support immediate decision making. The desired outcome is to create a straightforward and actionable guide that includes detailed procedures and best practices for conducting rapid research that will allow state DOTs and their contractors to respond quickly to emerging issues without the delays of traditional, lengthy research methods.

This process will not replace traditional, in-depth research methods but will serve as a complementary tool for addressing urgent, time-sensitive issues. This research will focus on creating a guide that can be easily blended into the everyday operation of state DOT research programs. The development of this guide will help quickly assess existing research and best practices and will enable state DOTs to respond proactively to new and pressing issues. In addition, the proposed pilot testing process in state DOTs will ensure that the framework is adaptable across various regions and according to transportation needs.