Additional Resources for Small Businesses
Potential Research Funding Opportunities Outside of SBIR
For those seeking funding outside of U.S. DOT’s Small Business Innovation Research program, the below programs offer potential research funding opportunities. To learn about completed or existing research, visit the U.S. DOT Research Hub and the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Research in Progress (RiP) Database.
Programs Available to Companies
Companies are eligible to apply to the following programs and may also be eligible to partner with a public agency or academic institution on these programs.
| Program | Description | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Cooperative Research Programs |
Cooperative Research Programs are contract research programs focused on developing “near-term, practical solutions” to problems faced by the transportation industry. The Highway, Transit, Airport, and Behavioral Traffic Safety Cooperative Research Programs regularly advertise for competitive proposals by releasing detailed project statements (i.e., requests for proposals). |
Transportation Research Board |
| Exploratory Advanced Research Program |
The Exploratory Advanced Research Program offers funding in specified focus areas for longer-term, high-risk, high-reward research with the potential for transformational improvements to plan, build, renew, and operate safe, congestion free, and environmentally sound transportation systems. |
Federal Highway Administration |
| Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) Programs |
Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) consists of three programs focused on early-stage, high-risk, high pay-off, investigator-led research in highways, transit, and railroad safety and performance. IDEA programs provide start-up funding for promising, but unproven, innovations in surface transportation systems. |
Transportation Research Board |
Programs in Which Companies Can Serve as Partners
For the programs listed below, although companies are not eligible to apply directly for funding, companies may be eligible to partner with a public agency or academic institution.
| Program | Description | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Every Day Counts |
Every Day Counts: Every 2 years, the Federal Highway Administration, along with stakeholders, selects several proven innovations and promotes their implementation over the next 2 years. |
Federal Highway Administration |
| FAA Air Transportation Centers of Excellence |
The FAA Air Transportation Centers of Excellence enable collaboration and coordination between government, academia, and industry to advance aviation technologies and conduct research on a specific FAA mission-critical topic area over a 10-year period. |
Federal Aviation Administration |
| Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance |
The Maritime Environmental and Technical Assistance program offers funding for research, development, and demonstration of maritime technologies that improve environmental sustainability. |
Maritime Administration |
| Safety Research and Demonstration Program | Part of a larger U.S. DOT safety research effort, the Safety Research and Demonstration Program focuses on demonstration of technologies and safer designs in the transit industry. | Federal Transit Administration |
| State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) Incentive Program |
State Transportation Innovation Councils (STICs) are networks of public and private transportation stakeholders in each state. Through the STIC Incentive Program, each STIC may apply for up to $100,000 of funding per year for an innovation project. |
Federal Highway Administration |
| Transportation Pooled Fund | The Transportation Pooled Fund is a program allowing FHWA, state DOTs, and other organizations to pool funds and resources to study a transportation problem of common interest. | Federal Highway Administration |
| University Transportation Centers | DOT invests in the future of transportation through its University Transportation Centers Program, which awards and administers grants to consortia of colleges and universities across the United States that collaborate as a center of excellence on a specific transportation research area. | U.S. DOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology |
The above list of programs is subject to change.
Other Resources
Visit the linked pages below to learn about other programs, resources, and organizations that may be helpful as you pursue future transportation research opportunities.
DOT Resources
- DOT Navigator
- U.S. DOT Grants
- U.S. DOT Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
- U.S. DOT Priorities
- U.S. DOT Research Hub
Federal Resources for Small Businesses
- Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
- Small Business Transportation Resource Centers (SBTRC)
- USA.gov Small Business Guidance
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Professional Associations
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE)
- American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE)
- Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
- United Engineering Foundation (UEF)
Minority Associations and Resources
- MANA, A National Latina Organization
- Minority Business Development Agency (U.S. Department of Commerce)
- National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development
- National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
- National Minority Business Council, Inc. (NMBC)
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Women’s Transportation Seminar (WTS) International
Cybersecurity Resources
