News
U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research Program FY26 Phase I Solicitation Period is Now Open
June 9, 2026
U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) fiscal year (FY26) Phase I solicitation period runs from Wednesday, June 3, 2026 through Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET. A webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET for small businesses interested in applying. Please submit administrative questions via email to dotsbir@dot.gov no later than 3:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research Program FY26 Phase I Pre-Solicitation Period is Now Closed
May 29, 2026
The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program Fiscal Year 2026 Phase I Pre-Solicitation closed on Friday, May 29th at 5:00 p.m. ET.
Elevating Air Traffic Safety and Efficiency during Departure with Flight Deck Insights
May 18, 2026
As air travel demand increases, optimizing terminal airspace is critical. The U.S. DOT Volpe Center partnered with FAA in the research and evaluation of Multiple Air Route Separation (MARS)—an innovative concept designed to enhance efficiency by utilizing Performance-Based Navigation (PBN). MARS enables aircraft to fly closer together in busy terminal areas, which requires precise adherence to flight paths. Our team conducted a comprehensive study to identify how pilots experience and manage these tighter conditions, ensuring that efficiency gains never come at the expense of safety.
Enhancing Aviation Data Sharing
May 7, 2026
The U.S. DOT Volpe Center is helping FAA modernize how critical aviation data moves through the NAS—boosting safety, resilience, and cybersecurity. As legacy Time Division Multiplexing networks transition to modern IP-based communications, our team is delivering upgrades that strengthen safety, cybersecurity, and data-driven decision-making.
Surface Transportation Infrastructure Investment Modeling
April 28, 2026
In support of FHWA and FTA, the U.S. DOT Volpe Center provided the data modeling driving the 26th edition of the Status of the Nation’s Highways, Bridges, and Transit: Conditions and Performance Report (C&P Report). By refining advanced modeling tools like the Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS) and the Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM), our multidisciplinary teams provide the detailed forecasts Congress needs to guide national transportation policy.
Executing Rapid Phase of the U.S. DOT Complementary Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Action Plan: One Step Closer to User Adoption
April 20, 2026
From precision agriculture to synchronized financial markets, our modern economy relies on GPS. However, because these signals are low-power, they are vulnerable to disruptions. The U.S. DOT Volpe Center, in partnership with the U.S. DOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology's Office of Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) and Spectrum Management, developed a CPNT Action Plan designed to accelerate the adoption of complementary PNT solutions throughout the nation’s transportation system and other critical infrastructure sectors.
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence at U.S. Department of Transportation
April 14, 2026
In support of U.S. DOT's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology's Highly Automated Systems Safety Center of Excellence, we recently spearheaded the AI-CHAT initiative. Our team took the technical lead in designing and deploying chat.dot.gov, a secure, cloud-hosted platform that allowed U.S. DOT staff to pilot leveraging Large Language Models for mission-critical tasks.
Ensuring Breathalyzers Are Accurate and Able to Withstand Legal Scrutiny
April 6, 2026
Every 42 minutes, a life is lost to drunk driving in the U.S. In partnership with NHTSA, our Alcohol Countermeasures Lab uses world-unique "drinking robots" to ensure breathalyzers are accurate and legally defensible.
Accelerating Modernization: The U.S. DOT Volpe Center’s Fast-track Merger of Critical FAA Safety Systems
April 1, 2026
In response to an urgent request from FAA, we recently delivered a major modernization milestone—merging two critical safety systems (OAPS and WebOPSS) into FAA’s Safety Assurance System (SAS) in less than three weeks and three months ahead of schedule.
Driving Efficiency in Annual National Highway Freight Network Corridor Designation
March 30, 2026
The movement of goods is the backbone of our economy, but managing more than 9,000 miles of the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS) requires more than just pavement—it requires cutting-edge data integration. We’re proud to be partnering with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Freight Management to revolutionize the National Highway Freight Network (NHFN) designation process.