49 U.S.C. § 5505 — University transportation centers program

(a) University Transportation Centers Program. (1) Establishment. The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (called the “Secretary” here), must make grants to eligible nonprofit institutions of higher education to establish and operate university transportation centers. (2) Each center must (A) advance transportation knowledge and technology through education, research, and technology transfer; (B) provide a critical multimodal transportation knowledge base outside the Department of Transportation; and (C) address workforce needs and educate future transportation leaders about the matters in section 6503(c)(1)(A)–(G).

(b) Competitive selection. (1) A consortium seeking a grant must submit the application and information the Secretary requires. (2)(A) A consortium’s lead institution may receive only one grant each fiscal year as lead institution, unless (B) applies. (B) That limit does not apply to a nonprofit institution that belongs to a consortium but is not its lead institution. (3) The Secretary must use the same advertising schedules and deadlines when seeking applications for national, regional, and Tier 1 centers. (4)(A) Except where this section says otherwise, grants must be awarded in nonexclusive topic areas established by the Secretary that address section 6503(c)(1)(A)–(G) research priorities. (B) After consulting appropriate modal-administration heads, the Secretary must use a competitive process and assess: (i) the applicant’s ability to address each topic in its research and strategic plans; (ii) its research, technology-transfer, and education resources; (iii) its ability to lead solutions to immediate and long-term national and regional problems; (iv) its ability to conduct multimodal, multidisciplinary research, education, and technology transfer; (v) its commitment to workforce development through (I) degree or other industry-recognized credential programs and (II) outreach bringing women and underrepresented groups into transportation; (vi) its ability to spread results and promote implementation through national or statewide continuing education; (vii) its commitment to peer review and other research best practices; (viii) its strategic plan and performance measures for research, technology transfer, education, and outreach; and (ix) its ability to run the program cost-effectively, including through cost sharing and lower overhead, facility, and administrative costs. (5)(A) On request, the Secretary must give each applicant evaluation materials, including reviewer copies with identifying information removed. (B) The Department’s website must publish a report on the review process, including the evaluation criteria, process description, and reasons for selected awards. (6) To the greatest practicable extent, the Secretary must consult outside stakeholders, including the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council of the National Academies, in evaluating and competitively reviewing proposals.

(c) Grants. (1) Within one year after enactment, the Secretary must choose recipients and make grant money available. (2)(A) Subject to (B), the Secretary must grant money to five consortia that best meet subsection (b)(4). (B)(i) Each grant must be $2,000,000 to $4,000,000 per recipient per fiscal year. (ii) Each recipient must focus research on one transportation issue area in section 6503(c). (C)(i) Each recipient must match 100 percent of the grant. (ii) Matching money may include money under 23 U.S.C. 504(b) or 505. (3)(A) One regional center must be in each of the 10 Federal regions in OMB’s April 1974 “Standard Federal Regions” (Circular A–105). (B) The Secretary must award 10 regional-center grants based on (i) subsection (b)(4), (ii) the lead center’s location in the region served, and (iii) a well-established, nationally recognized transportation research and education program shown by (I) recent highway or public-transportation research spending, (II) a record of awarding related professional graduate degrees, and (III) experienced faculty in related fields. (C) Each grant is $1,500,000 to $3,000,000 per recipient per fiscal year. (D)(i) Each recipient must match 100 percent. (ii) The same 23 U.S.C. 504(b) and 505 sources may be used. (E)(i) A regional center must research one or more matters in section 6503(c)(1)(A)–(G). (ii) One of the 10 centers must receive a grant to advance comprehensive transportation safety, congestion, connected vehicles and infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles, including cybersecurity implications of those technologies. (4)(A) The Secretary must provide grants of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 to no more than 20 Tier 1 recipients. (B)(i) Each must match 50 percent. (ii) The same 23 U.S.C. 504(b) and 505 sources may be used. (C) In awarding grants, the Secretary must consider minority institutions defined in 20 U.S.C. 1067k, and consortia that include such institutions, when they show transportation-research ability.

(d) Coordination. (1) The Secretary must coordinate recipients’ research, education, and technology transfer and publish the results through a publicly accessible online clearinghouse. (2) At least every two years, consistent with section 6503, the Secretary must review and evaluate these programs and publish a report on the Department website. (3) In fiscal years 2022–2026, no more than 1.5 percent of available money may be used for coordination, evaluation, and oversight.

(e) Availability. Money remains available for obligation for three years after the last day of the fiscal year for which it was authorized.

(f) Information collection. A survey, questionnaire, or interview the Secretary finds necessary for reporting about assessment or evaluation, including customer-satisfaction assessment, is not subject to title 44, chapter 35.