TRB RESEARCH CYCLE
Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP)
ACRP Graduate Research Award Program
Schedule:
 May 2011 – Applications due
 August 2011 – Contracts awarded to recipients
 October 2011 – First scoping discussion/meeting and review of draft work plan
with mentor, advisor, and research grant recipient
 August 2012– Research papers due
 January 2013 – Papers presented at TRB’s annual meeting, published as part of the
Compendium of Papers for the meeting, and considered for publication in
Transportation Research Record.
ACRP Regular Projects
Schedule:
 December – Problem statements for the next fiscal year are requested
 March – Next fiscal year’s problem statement submission deadline
 July – Projects selected for next year
 August – Panel nominations requested
 October – Panels selected
 November – First panel meetings
ACRP Synthesis Projects
Schedule:
 October – New topic statement submission deadline
 December – Projects selected
 March – First panel meetings begin
Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program (CTBSSP)
Schedule:
 April – Call for topics issued
 July – Topic statement submission deadline
Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program (HMCRP)
Schedule:
 July – Call for topics issued
 August – New topic statement submission deadline
 October – Projects selected
 March – First panel meetings begin
Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA)
NCHRP IDEA Program
Schedule:
 March 1st - Proposals due
 June - Proposals selected
 September 1st - Proposals due
 November - Proposals selected
Transit IDEA Program
Schedule:
 April 1st - Proposals due
 July - Proposals selected
 November 1st - Proposals due
 December - Proposals selected
Safety IDEA Program
Schedule:
 March 1st - Proposals due
 July - Proposals selected
Reliability IDEA Program
Schedule:
 March 1st - Proposals due
 July - Proposals selected
 September 1st - Proposals due (subject to availability of funds)
National Cooperative Freight Research Program (NCFRP)
Schedule:
 February – Announcement of Freight Research Projects and Panel Nominations
requested
 April – RRPs begin to be released
 July – Requests for Research Problem Statements for the upcoming Fiscal Year
 August – Research Problem Statements due
National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP)
NCHRP International and Domestic Scans
International Scans (NCHRP 20-36)
Schedule:
 Late September - Scan proposals are due
 December - Selection process takes place
Domestic Scans (NCHRP 20-68A)
Schedule:
 Early Fall - Call for scan topics
 November - Scan topic submission deadline
 December - Scan topics selected by project panel
NCHRP Quick Response Projects
NCHRP 8-36: Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Planning
Schedule:
 April - Call for topics issued
 July - Proposed topics due
 August - Projects selected
 September - Proposal requests sent to Task Order Contractors
 December - Selection of Task Order Contractors for each project
NCHRP 20-07: Research for AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways
Schedule: Two Cycles Each Year
Cycle 1
 May - Topics selected
 August - Panel formed & contracts identified
 December - Selection of contractors
 January to January - Research
Cycle 2
 October - Topics selected
 January - Panel formed & contracts identified
 March - Selection of contractors
 May to May - Research
NCHRP 20-24: Research on Administration on Highway and Transportation
Schedule:
 Spring - Panel members allocate funds for research on proposed topics
 NCHRP staff notifies Task Order Contractors when proposals are to be solicited.
NCHRP 20-59: Surface Transportation Security Research
Schedule:
 August – Projects selected
 January – Panel nominations due
NCHRP 25-25: Research for the AASHTO Standing Committee on Environment
Schedule:
 April - Call for topics issued
 July - Proposed topics due
 September - Projects selected
 January the next year - Proposal requests sent to Task Order Contractors
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April the next year - Selection of Task Order Contractors for each project
NCHRP Regular Projects
Schedule:
 Early July - AASHTO Standing Committee on Research (SCOR) solicits problems
 Mid-September - Problem statement submission deadline
 December/January - Ballots sent to selection panel (SCOR and Research Advisory
Committee (RAC))
 February/March - Ballots Compiled
 Late March - Projects selected by SCOR
 April - An Announcement of Research Projects is prepared
 Mid-April - Technical panel nominations requested
 May/June - Final list of projects approved by AASHTO Board of Directors
 June/July - Panels selected
 July/August - First panel meeting
 August – RFPs will begin to be released
NCHRP Synthesis Projects
Schedule:
 May – New topic statement submission deadline
 June/July – Projects selected
 August – First panel meetings begin
Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) 2
Schedule:
 December –RFPs released
 January – Proposals due for December RFP
 June – Oversight Committee meets
 July – RFPs released
 August – Proposals due
 November/December – Oversight Committee meets
Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP)
TCRP Regular Projects
Schedule:
 January – Panel nominations due for current Fiscal Year projects
 February – Solicitation for upcoming Fiscal Year problem statements issued
 March – First panel meetings for current Fiscal Year projects to develop RFPs
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June – Topic submission deadline for upcoming Fiscal Year program
November – Projects selected for upcoming Fiscal Year program
November – Panel nomination request issued
January (Following year) – Panels selected for upcoming Fiscal Year projects
TCRP International Transit Studies Program
Schedule:
 June – Call for panel nomination
 July – Panel nomination deadline
TCRP Synthesis Projects
Schedule:
 May – New topic statement submission deadline
 June/July – Projects selected – Consultant/panel member Invitation
 August – First panel meetings begin