What is the IRC Research Program?

Multiple federal agencies with public land holdings make up the Innovation and Research Council (IRC), which is responsible for selecting research projects that react to the urgent and visionary needs of Federal Land Management Agencies (FLMAs). While the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Federal Lands Highway (FLH) administers the IRC Research Program, the IRC makes the final selection on future research topics. On behalf of the IRC, FLH solicits research project proposals biennially from IRC chartered member agencies.

The IRC Research Program is open to staff of IRC chartered member agencies. A list of these agencies is available on the IRC website. Outside contractors may contribute to projects, but application materials may only list agency employees as Project Manager.

The IRC Research Program generally seeks to support research projects that align with the following categories:

• Infrastructure
• Safety
• Customer Experience and Multimodal Choices
• Technological Advancements / Autonomous Vehicles
• Tools of the Trade 
• Planning for Future Transportation Networks/Traffic Operations
• Pavement and Materials
• Hydraulics and Stream Ecology
• Tribal Community Technical Assistance

Visit the Research Program Project Profiles page to learn more about the research projects that the IRC has funded in the past.

Process

The IRC Research Program is currently closed to nominees.

The IRC Research Program consists of the following steps.

Step 1: Intake Form

• Submission: Interested applicants fill out an intake form with high-level information about their proposed project.

• Evaluation: The FLH Innovation and Research Coordinator review submitted information to confirm eligibility and alignment with IRC Strategic Themes and with general Research Program expectations. The IRC will notify applicants who are selected to move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Pitch Deck

• Submission: Accepted Applicants submit a Pitch Deck (templated PowerPoint) to provide an overview of their research proposal. Applicants shall only use the prepared Pitch Deck template. Adhering to the structure of the Deck helps ensure that all evaluation criteria are met.

• Evaluation: Members of the Research Heightened Utility and Deployment (rHUD) make up the review panel and will review Pitch Decks prior to Pitch Day presentations (Step 3) to familiarize themselves with the projects and identify potential questions in advance.

Step 3: Pitch Day(s)

• Presentation: Applicants will present the Pitch Deck submitted in Step 2 and may provide additional details verbally.
  • Applicants can choose not to present to the review panel. Applicants who choose not to present will have an opportunity to provide written explanatory notes for reviewers.
  • Reviewers will have an opportunity to ask questions to better understand the research proposals. Reviewers may request follow-up information.

• Evaluation: The review panel will consider the information presented, responses to questions, and any additional materials provided, if applicable. The review panel will rank the proposed research projects to identify research projects of promise for the IRC. Projects that address IRC Strategic Themes and propose relevant and feasible research will be prioritized for funding.

Step 4: IRC Review and Funding Announcement

• Evaluation: The IRC will review recommendations from the rHUD and determine a final list of prioritized projects for funding. The IRC will allocate funding based on this prioritization as funds are available.

Timeline

The biennial application process generally follows the schedule below.