The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) reported on February 21 that it has distributed up to $435 million in grants to 34 University Transportation Centers (UTUs). “

Each UTC is a consortium of two- and four-year colleges and universities that come together to form a “Transportation Excellence Center” on a specific research topic. USDOT“Together, they advance U.S. technology and expertise in many areas, including transportation, through education, solution-oriented research and technology transfer, and the exploration and sharing of cutting-edge ideas and approaches.”

this round UTU program According to USDOT, the funding will “help the next generation of transportation professionals make roads, bridges, railroads, ships and airspace safer, more innovative and more efficient.”

The department reported receiving a total of 230 grant applications. This is the largest number in the history of the 35-year-old program. Funded by the bipartisan Infrastructure Act (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), 5 National UTCs, 9 Regional UTCs, and 20 Tier 1 UTCs selected Receive $4 million, $3 million, and $2 million annually, respectively, for five years.

Prairie View A&M University was the first historically black university (HBCU) to receive a UTC grant. An additional four HBCUs are UTC’s main consortiums selected for the award, and another five consortium members are Hispanic Service Institutions/Minority Service Institutions (MSI). A record number of HBCUs, MSIs and tribal colleges are participating this year, according to USDOT.

The five national UTCs selected are:

1. National Center for Transportation Cybersecurity and Resiliency: Clemson University will lead a group focused on cybersecurity. According to USDOT, this UTC will continuously monitor and address “cybersecurity vulnerabilities associated with the Cyber-Physical and Social System of Transportation (TCPSS).” “TCPSS adds new capabilities to transportation systems using computation and communication embedded in and interacting with physical processes.” This UTC addresses challenges and threats across modes of transport, geography and applications and develop advanced cybersecurity strategies and solutions for multimodal transportation. Consortium members include Benedict University, Florida International University, Morgan State University (MD), Purdue University, South Carolina State University, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, University of California, Santa Cruz, and University of Texas at Dallas.
2. National Center for Sustainable Transport: The University of California, Davis will lead a group focused on the environment. This UTC will focus on “accelerating equitable decarbonization that benefits both the transportation system and the well-being of people in burdened and historically disadvantaged communities,” reports USDOT. doing. Research activities will focus on “vehicle technology to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, infrastructure development and reshaping travel demand”. Consortium members include California State University, Long Beach, Georgia Tech, Texas Southern University, University of California, Riverside, University of Southern California, and University of Vermont.
3. National Center for Infrastructure Transformation: Prairie View A&M (Texas) University leads a group focused on infrastructure. According to USDOT, this HBCU-led UTC will “develop and put into practice new technologies and approaches not currently deployed in the transportation system, such as new data and technology approaches related to artificial intelligence and environmental stewardship/resilience.” I plan to move. The purpose of this research is to develop and deploy interoperable data platforms and technical systems for transportation planning and infrastructure operations. Consortium members include Arizona State University, Brynn Community College (Texas), Michigan State University, Rutgers University, and Texas A&M University.
4. Centers for Understanding Future Travel Behavior and Demand: The University of Texas at Austin will lead a mobility-focused group. According to USDOT, the UTC will conduct the “Transportation Heartbeat of America Survey” to gather long-term data and “understand how travel behavior and demand are evolving.” . “By conducting this groundbreaking research to measure, monitor, model and manage traveler behavior, we will design human-centric, multimodal and intelligent transportation systems that meet the needs of people, institutions and businesses. The consortium members are Arizona State University, California State Polytechnic University Pomona, New York City College, Dine College (Navajo Nation), Georgia Tech, University of Michigan, and University of Washington. .
5. Safety 21: Carnegie Mellon University will lead a safety-focused group. The UTC will implement a “revolutionary system-of-systems approach for integrating autonomous, connected, electric, and shared vehicle (ACES) technology into transportation networks,” USDOT said. “This research addresses the challenges of connected/automated vehicles (simulation, system design, validation, testing) and infrastructure (planning, design, condition assessment, monitoring), providing US companies with AI, data analytics, connectivity, edge It provides innovative technologies such as computing, smart infrastructure.” Consortium members include Allegheny County Community College, Philadelphia Community College, Morgan State University (Maryland), Ohio State University, and Pennsylvania. University, University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley.

of 9 regional UTC and 20 Tier 1 UTC Work to reduce congestion, reduce transportation cybersecurity risks, protect the environment, increase durability and extend the life of transportation infrastructure, improve movement of people and goods, promote safety, and maintain existing transportation systems. increase.

“The work done by the next generation of diverse transportation researchers at these centers will help make it safer, faster, and more affordable for Americans to get around,” said Undersecretary of Research and Technology. Assistant Professor Robert C. Hampshire, Ph.D.