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Our Work

A woman working in the CAB Technology Integration Laboratory Control Room
FRA’s CAB Technology Integration Laboratory Control Room (Linda Haas Photography photo)

U.S. DOT Volpe Center staff collaborate on more than 300 projects each year with our sponsors, working towards a better, safer, and more efficient transportation system.

Dive deeper into our work:

Learn about our thought leadership efforts.

Meet our team of experts.

Our Sponsors

We maintain a central, cross-cutting role within U.S. DOT by partnering with key administration officials and other federal career leaders, adding value through technical excellence, innovation, and a commitment to public service.

Eighty-five percent of our work is sponsored by U.S. DOT and its operating modes.

Our mandate to support the transportation enterprise is broad. Remaining projects are sponsored by other federal agencies—including the U.S. Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Homeland Security—in addition to state and local governments, academia, and industry.

Learn more about our sponsors.

A Snapshot of Our Work

  • Budget: $220 million
  • 300+ ongoing projects annually
  • Footprint across all nine modes of transportation
  • Collaborate with U.S. DOT, federal agencies, state and local government, academia, and industry
  • As part of U.S. DOT, we’re committed to sharing science results widely and supporting increased access to results whenever possible. We look forward to working with our federal colleagues in making federally funded science more open and equitable.

Our Software Development Capability Appraised at CMMI-DEV V2.0 Maturity Level 3

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Learn more about our CMMI-DEV V2.0 Maturity Level 3.