For more than 45 years, the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program has enabled public and private entities to collaboratively conduct cutting-edge transportation research. Through the TPF Program, these entities can pool funds and expertise to develop innovative solutions at lower costs while extending the reach and impact of their research.
The biennial TPF Excellence Awards further promotes research, innovation, and excellence by recognizing outstanding TPF studies. This awards program highlights the importance of meaningful collaboration and partnership in transportation research by recognizing TPF studies that have significantly advanced national research efforts in the areas of safety, economic growth, equity, climate solutions, and/or transformation.
Administered through a partnership between FHWA and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Research Advisory Committee (RAC), the TPF Excellence Awards will recognize two TPF studies, with at least one State department of transportation (DOT)-led study.
Any TPF study that is completed and has posted a final report/deliverable by June 30 of the year submitted is eligible for a TPF Excellence Awards nomination.
Any participant in the TPF Program can nominate an eligible TPF study. The nominator is responsible for completing the nomination form (linked above) that summarizes the outstanding accomplishments of the entry and submitting via email to TPFExcellenceAwards@dot.gov. Nominations will be collected in the fall of the first years of the biennial cycle.
Nominations for the 2024 TPF Excellence Awards cycle will open in September 2023 and close in October 2023.
A panel of independent judges from various backgrounds will review and evaluate nominations based on how clearly the application demonstrates and describes how the TPF study research achieved the following:
- Strong collaboration.
- Improvements to the transportation industry.
- Value added to and utilization and implementation by the transportation community.
- Promotion of research and/or innovation.
- Use of the project deliverables by multiple State partners.
- Advancement of USDOT strategic goals: safety, economic strength, equity, climate and sustainability, transformation, and organizational excellence.
Check back to see which TPF studies were awarded the 2024 TPF Excellence Awards!
