49 U.S.C. § 70205 — National multimodal cooperative freight research program

(a) Within 1 year after this section is enacted, the Secretary of Transportation must establish and support a national cooperative freight-transportation research program.
(b)(1) The Secretary must agree with the National Academy of Sciences for the Academy to administer and manage the program. (2) The Academy must create an advisory committee representing freight stakeholders, including the Transportation Department and relevant Federal agencies; State transportation departments, including the District of Columbia; local governments and public ports; nonprofit organizations; higher-education institutions; freight labor organizations; and private entities representing different transportation modes.
(c)(1)(A) After consulting interested parties, the committee must recommend a national research agenda and a multiyear strategic plan under subsection (d). (B) An interested party may submit proposals, take part in merit and peer reviews, and receive results. (2)(A) The Academy may award research contracts and grants through open competition and regular merit review. (B) A contract or grant may allow peer review of results, and the Academy may regularly conduct periodic program evaluations. (C) The Academy must share findings with researchers, practitioners, and decisionmakers through conferences, seminars, demonstrations, workshops, training, presentations, testimony, public websites, general-public publications, and other suitable means. (3) Within 1 year after the program begins, and every year afterward, the Secretary must post a report describing ongoing research and findings.
(d) The agenda must consider: (1) more efficient and resilient freight movement, including rural connections to markets, better infrastructure use and urban curb use, the national effect of blocked railroad crossings, better ways to measure public benefits from freight projects, and low-cost ways to reduce bottleneck congestion; (2) future freight trends, including e-commerce, automation, and zero-emission transportation; and (3) the freight workforce, including greater diversity and a workforce able to design, deploy, and operate emerging technologies.
(e) The Federal share may be up to 100 percent. The Academy may also seek and accept additional public or private funding from entities able to accept funding from the Transportation Department, States, local governments, nonprofits, and the private sector. (f) Congress authorizes $3,750,000 for each fiscal year, available until spent. (g) The program ends 5 years after enactment.