BACKGROUND

The airport industry faces increasing pressure to enhance operational efficiency due to growing passenger demands, heightened security measures, and airspace constraints. Traditional training methods and operational workflows often rely on outdated systems, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs. Building on ACRP Project 07-26, “Extended Reality Possibilities in the Airport Environment,” which identifies categories of extended reality (XR) technologies, their benefits, best-use applications, and airport “readiness” to implement them, further research is needed to explore how XR technologies can be applied to enhance operational efficiencies at airports.  

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this project is to conduct an in-person ACRP Insight Event (see Special Note A) for airport-industry practitioners, relevant stakeholders, and subject matter experts (SMEs) to discuss extended reality technologies to determine how these technologies can be integrated into the airport environment.

TASKS

ACRP is seeking a qualified and experienced team to manage and execute the Insight Event, i.e., concept development; planning; event management, including logistics, day-of-event coordination, and facilitation; and post-event follow-up and documentation.

Task descriptions are intended to provide a framework for conducting the project. ACRP is seeking the insights of proposers on how best to achieve the project objective. Proposers are expected to describe plans that can realistically be accomplished within the constraints of available funds and subaward time. Proposals must present the proposers’ current thinking in sufficient detail to demonstrate the soundness of their approach to meeting the project objective.

Task 1. Prepare a schedule for the activities and milestones needed to conduct the Insight Event. The schedule should identify industry- or topic-related events (e.g., conferences, seminars) to be avoided when setting the date for the Insight Event. Two weeks following subaward execution, participate on a kickoff call with the project panel to review and select the in-person planning meeting date (see Task 5) and the Insight Event dates (see Special Note B).     

Task 2. Coordinate with ACRP staff to reserve a venue and needed technology (e.g., audiovisual equipment) for the Insight Event.

Task 3. Conduct and submit a literature review to obtain information on current knowledge, practices, and relevant research pertaining to the topic, and identify relevant themes and potential topics for the event. Conducting a literature review involves collecting, evaluating, and analyzing publications that relate to the project scope. The Principal Investigator (PI) should search TRB’s Transportation Research Information Documentation (TRID), an integrated database of more than 1.3 million records of transportation research worldwide. The literature review should answer the question of what is known or not known about the topic. A good literature review does not just summarize sources and it is not an annotated bibliography. Instead, a good literature review analyzes, synthesizes, and evaluates sources to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

Note: Depending on the content of the literature review, a second version may need to be developed for publication and public consumption.

Task 4. Develop and submit a separate database of SMEs (within and outside the airport industry) with potential event participants, speakers, or moderators. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) members should be considered as potential speakers/presenters/moderators. The database should be sortable and include individuals’ contact information, area of expertise, and potential role(s) (e.g., participant, speaker, moderator). The panel and ACRP staff will be a resource to the subawardee and will review and approve the subawardee's recommendations.

Task 5. Support ACRP staff in facilitating a 1-day in-person Insight Event planning meeting with the project panel. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the findings of the literature review, review SME database, confirm the desired audience/participants, confirm the themes and topics to be covered at the Insight Event, and agree on a general agenda framework and format.

Task 6. Prepare a topic-relevant outreach plan and promotional materials, including a save-the-date announcement, aimed at the intended audience/participants (e.g., major airport influencers, SMEs, thought leaders, specialized or niche perspective communities, and interested local, state, and federal government agencies). The strategy should describe clear methods, specific techniques, potential partner organizations, and resources to develop participant invite lists and tactics to encourage participation. Submit the save-the-date announcement and the outreach plan for ACRP review and approval.

Note: The save-the-date announcement should be submitted within 1 week of the in-person panel meeting. The outreach plan should be submitted within 4 weeks of the in-person meeting.

Task 7. Upon ACRP approval, implement the outreach plan.

Task 8. Prepare a registration website and track registrations to ensure the agreed-upon attendance limit is not exceeded and participants provide a balance of perspectives (with a focus on airport practitioners) (see Special Note C).

Task 9. Support ACRP staff in facilitating a web-based planning meeting with the project panel approximately 2 months before the Insight Event. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a status report; confirm speakers, moderators, and session topics; and identify areas where panel assistance may be needed.

Task 10. Develop a guide for speakers and moderators and submit for ACRP review and approval. The guide should provide, at a minimum, expectations for speakers and moderators, an outline of the session topic, and best practices for encouraging engagement with the participants.

Task 11. Upon ACRP approval of the guide, ensure each speaker and moderator understands and will follow the guidelines. Schedule and facilitate session planning web meetings with speakers and moderators. 

Task 12. The rapporteur will participate in a web meeting with ACRP/TRB staff to discuss rapporteur responsibilities at the Insight Event and the development of the Transportation Insight report (see Special Notes D and E). 

Task 13. Conduct the Insight Event. Working with the National Academies events team and ACRP staff, ensure room(s) are set up appropriately, provide name badges and any pre-event material for event participants, and staff the sign-in/registration table. Ensure speakers and moderators are prepared before their session begins. Handle logistics for displaying visual aids, breakout sessions, and related activities (such as an evening networking event, if applicable). Facilitate a wrap-up session summarizing the discussion and identifying future research needs.

Task 14. At the conclusion of the Insight Event, send out follow-up material to event participants that includes a post-event survey link provided by ACRP and encourage their participation.

Task 15. Participate in a post-event web meeting with the panel and ACRP staff to collect input and perspectives on how the Insight Event fared. Additionally, review the research ideas that were generated at the event and, with project panel input, select at least two to be developed into ACRP problem statements.

Task 16. The research team will use ACRP’s problem statement process (https://trb.org/ACRP/problemstatements.aspx) to develop and submit at least two problem statement to the panel for review. ACRP staff will submit the final problem statement(s) on behalf of the panel and the research team. The development and submission of problem statements should occur as soon as practical, taking into account ACRP’s problem statement annual submission deadline of early April.

Task 17. In following the rapporteur guidance, prepare a draft summary of the discussions of the Insight Event to be published in the Transportation Insights series. The summary will be based on the notes collected by the rapporteur. Submit the initial draft to TRB for review (see Special Note E).

Task 18. Following TRB review and in response to reviewer comments, submit the final Transportation Insights publication.

Task 19. Provide a post-event technical report documenting event preparation, execution, and follow-up, and resulting problem statements (see Special Note F).

HOW TO PROPOSE

Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF, not to exceed 40 pages, with the following information:

1.     A summary sheet.

2.     A brief summary of the proposer’s understanding of the need for the Insight Event (less than one page).

3.     Demonstrated knowledge of and access to topic experts. 

4. Qualifications, experience, and resume of key individuals, including the individual(s) who will serve as the PI and rapporteur for the Insight Event. The rapporteur should have familiarity with the U.S. airport industry to ensure discussions at the event are clearly recorded and documented so they can be of practical value to the industry. One team member should have relevant experience in the topic area. 

5.    A project budget (see Special Note L).  For budgeting purposes, proposers should assume that ACRP will provide access to web-enabled teleconference services. ACRP will pay panel members’ travel costs for the face-to-face planning meeting and for the Insight Event. Proposers should assume the meeting and Insight Event will be held in Washington, DC.

SPECIAL NOTES

A. ACRP provides practical solutions to challenges faced by airport-industry practitioners. Not all challenges lend themselves to applied research or published solutions, whether due to their dynamic or unsettled nature or because the state of knowledge or practice is immature and still evolving. Nonetheless, the airport industry would benefit from a deeper understanding of these issues even if solutions are not currently known or practical. ACRP uses a convening format called Insight Events to address these rapidly evolving issues. Insight Events bring together airport-industry leaders and subject matter experts (SMEs) to encourage discussion, promote broader and deeper insight on topics of significance to airport operators, and identify research needs.

ACRP models its Insight Events after the convening events held by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Convening events are intended to create a communal environment that fosters dialogue across sectors, institutions, and industries. Due to the format and nature of convening events, ACRP cannot publish findings or recommendations from an Insight Event; rather, a summary is published in the Transportation Insights series. Other products may be produced, including webinar-style video recordings, web content, podcasts, infographics, meeting notes, and literature reviews. ACRP establishes a panel for each Insight Event to identify the vision and themes to be addressed, select a subawardee to lead the logistical aspects of the event (described in the tasks above) and to serve as a resource to the subawardee.

B. The Insight Event should be between 1.5-2 days long and will most likely take place at one of the facilities owned by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. ACRP will be responsible for paying for food and beverages for the Insight Event, reserving the meeting space, and will provide the A/V technology. Ideally the event would be held within 11 months of subaward execution.

C. The subawardee is responsible for collecting registration information including the registration fee and will hold all fees until the conclusion of the event and submit a lump sum to ACRP. Proposers should identify the event registration software they intend to use to track registration, including rationale. Because Insight Events have targeted audiences, the software must allow the host to control the timing of when registration is open and who receives an invitation. Additionally, identify the mechanism for collecting the registration fee.

D. The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for management of the project, including designing and executing the Insight Event. The PI will be present at project panel meetings as noted in the RFP and submit deliverables. The rapporteur is responsible for taking notes of discussions at the Insight Event to write a factual summary of the discussions for the Transportation Insights publication. The project panel will provide oversight of the project and is a resource to the PI on the design and execution of the Insight Event. 

E. The Transportation Insights publication is a factual summary of what occurred at the Insight Event. A draft version will be reviewed by three to four peer reviewers, which generally include at least one member of the project panel, one event attendee, and one non-attendee. Changes must be incorporated into the final version. ACRP will provide instructions for preparing the summary. It may not be released to the public until the review has been completed to the satisfaction of ACRP and TRB. The rapporteur is expected to attend the full event and is responsible for taking notes to ensure the summary is complete.

F. The post-event technical report should document event preparation, execution, follow-up, and problem statements. Please review section 5.2.3 of the Procedural Manual for Subawardees Conducting Research in the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs for guidance on developing the technical report. 

G. Please review the Information and Instructions for Preparing Proposals for the Transportation Research Board’s Cooperative Research Programs document, which was revised in May 2024. Proposals should follow this guidance but only include the sections that have been called for under the How to Propose section. 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 40 pages (according to the page count displayed in the PDF). Proposals that do not meet these requirements will be rejected.   

H. 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.

I. Proposals are evaluated by the ACRP 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.

J. 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.

K. 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.

L. 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.

M. 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.

N. 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.

O. 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.