The FHWA hereby requests applications to result in the award of a new Cooperative Agreement, that will establish a Center of Excellence on New Mobility and Automated Vehicles (Mobility COE), as defined in the Technology and Innovation Deployment Program under Title 23 U.S. Code section 503(c)(6). This opportunity is being issued under assistance listing number 20.200, Highway Research & Development.
Today’s ground transportation sector is on the cusp of major changes arising simultaneously from three technology-driven trends: connectivity, automation, and electrification.
Connectivity combines physical transportation assets with digitalization and information sharing. It is enabled by diverse network communications strategies, ranging from cell phone apps to dedicated spectrum such as the Intelligent Transportation Services (ITS) safety band on the 5.9 GHz frequency. Some of these technologies are already widely deployed: telecommunications combined with new shared use business models have already revolutionized local travel and have enabled and accelerated adoption of the micro-mobility and ride-hail industries we are familiar with today. Connectivity can improve utilization of transportation assets and more efficiently match travel demand with supply. The introduction of micro-mobility options (including docked and dockless bicycles and electric scooters) and ride-hail epitomize the ongoing transportation and land use transformation, resulting in both potential societal benefits (improved mobility and asset utilization) and possible drawbacks (increases in congestion, scooters obstructing sidewalk access, etc.). These new mobility modes offer more options to the traveling public and can improve transportation access locally by addressing first-mile/last-mile challenges. Connectivity can streamline trip chain planning that combines micro-mobility, ridehail, and transit options. Such trips can be more environmentally sustainable than dedicated car trips, especially by single occupants. Connectivity today also enables drivers to re-route based on near real-time traffic updates using navigation apps, thus better utilizing the road network itself.
Other connectivity technologies are still in the burgeoning stages of deployment. For instance, the use of dedicated spectrum in the ITS safety band could improve public safety by sharing information between different transportation elements, including road infrastructure, vehicles, vulnerable road users, and the cloud. The November 2020 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision reallocating a portion of the 5.9 GHz radio frequency (RF) spectrum increased uncertainty around vehicle-to-everything (V2X) research and deployment. As a result, connectivity strategies to achieve V2X applications may be diverse and rely on different frequencies of the RF spectrum for different applications, pending industry consensus around the architectures, wavelengths, and technologies. In whatever form it takes, connectivity is expected to play a major part in the transportation system of the future.
Automation is the application of technology to reduce human responsibility for the dynamic driving task1 in an effort to improve safety and potentially traffic efficiency. Since 2004 when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Grand Challenge invigorated the automated driving industry, the number of private sector companies working on passenger and freight vehicle automation has grown from the few partners on the DARPA Grand Challenge teams to hundreds of firms, including automakers (OEMs), traditional automotive suppliers, established technology firms, startups, and others2 . The proliferation of SAE International Level 1 and 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), such as adaptive cruise control and lane centering, has made select automated driving features widely available to the driving public. These ADAS features have been widely adopted by the vehicle industry. SAE Level 3 through 5 advanced driving systems (ADS) are in the research and development stage with limited numbers of test vehicles being deployed by developers to conduct open-road testing and development. For the purposes of this notice, highly automated vehicles are defined as motor vehicles with taxable gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less and equipped with SAE Level 3, 4, or 5 automated driving systems per SAE standard J3016 (dated June 2018 or later).
Electrification will alter the fuel source used by most ground transportation and pivot the system from fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel to a potentially cleaner energy mix. It tightly couples the transportation and energy sectors in pursuit of a decarbonized, more environmentally sustainable transportation system. Efforts are currently underway to electrify light-duty passenger vehicles as well as medium- and heavy-duty freight vehicles, accompanied simultaneously by investments in charging infrastructure and power generation to support the increased electric demand.
These three technologies and related services are anticipated to transform the way individuals choose to travel both locally and over long distances. Holistic, multi-modal transportation networks are tightly coupled with land use and development, as individual traveler choices about where to live, work, and pursue leisure aggregate into larger trends. Such trends may also have very disparate impacts on different communities: for example, safety, environmental impacts, and accessible mobility may affect underserved and disadvantaged communities very differently than they do more affluent ones. Labor participation in the new mobility workforce may likewise vary. Planning for these emerging technologies can be daunting, from understanding the uncertainties related to rapidly evolving technical capabilities to the way systems interact with each other and the surrounding geophysical, financial, and social context when the systems are deployed at scale. Yet, the need for planning is even greater as a result: it is imperative that we better understand how to navigate major technological changes such that their potential benefits accrue to all Americans, regardless of ability, location, or economic situation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and Department of Energy (DOT/DOE) Joint Office of Energy and Transportation3 seeks to understand long-term system-level impacts from the electrification trend. Automation and connectivity trends will be studied by both this Mobility COE, as well as the USDOT Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence (HASS COE). However, these two centers will evaluate different aspects of the overall impacts: the Mobility COE will seek to understand how new multi-modal ground transportation technologies can be used to improve efficiency, mobility, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the HASS COE will focus on studying systems safety and interoperability.
Deadline: June 6, 2023
This competition is open to all eligible parties and their partnering organizations. Eligible parties include, but are not limited to, institutions of higher education, public research entities (e.g., University Affiliated Research Center (UARCs), Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDCs), national laboratories, etc.), and private research entities.
Cost sharing or matching is required.
The FHWA anticipates making one award(s) as a result of this Notice of Funding Opportunity. The FHWA anticipates Federal funding up to a total amount of $1,500,000 per year may be made available for this Agreement, subject to the availability of funds, for a total potential Federal share of $7,500,000. In the application, applicants must identify at least two partnering organizations and the associated roles and responsibilities of each partner organization in order to fully cover the breadth of research topics.