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U.S. Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Icon United States Department of Transportation United States Department of Transportation
OFFICE OF RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE TURNER-FAIRBANK HIGHWAY RESEARCH CENTER

Research Programs

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plays a key leadership role in sponsoring, sustaining, and guiding highway research. As a leader in the transportation research and technology (R&T) field, FHWA is working to improve its R&T program and to deploy innovations and technologies.

Managers and staff at the FHWA are responsible for R&T, particularly in functional areas that develop and set the R&T Agenda for that subject, focus, or program area. These functional areas reflect FHWA's mission, support strategic goals, and engage internal and external stakeholders.

To view further information about FHWA programs, click on the links below or use the navigation menu to the left.

Core Highway Programs and Topics

Cross-Topic Areas 

Exploratory Advanced Research

  • Breakthrough Concepts in Material Science
  • Connected Highway and Vehicle System Concepts
  • Focus Areas
  • Human Behavior and Travel Choices
  • New Technology and Advanced Policies for Energy and Resource Conservation
  • Technology for Assessing Performance

Office of Federal Lands Highway

Infrastructure

Innovative Program Delivery

Intelligent Transportation Systems

Operations

Planning, Environment, and Realty

  • Accelerating Project Delivery/Environmental Process
  • Air Quality Analytical tools and methods/Mobile Source Ari Toxics (MSAT)
  • Alternative Fuel Corridors/Electric Vehicles
  • Bicycle and Pedestrian/Multimodal
  • CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality)
  • Conformity
  • Connected/Autonomous Vehicles
  • Context Sensitive Solutions/Livability
  • Community Impacts (Public Involvement/Health/Environmental Justice/Civil Rights)
  • Economic Development
  • Fiscal Constraint and Financial Planning
  • Freight Planning
  • International and Border Planning
  • Metropolitan Transportation Planning
  • National Economic Networks
  • National Highway System
  • Noise
  • Outdoor Advertising and Junkyard Control Programs
  • Performance Based Planning and Programming
  • Realty
  • Resiliency and Adaptation
  • Safety Planning
  • Scenario Planning and Visualization
  • Statewide/Non-Metropolitan (rural) Transportation Planning
  • Sustainability
  • Travel Model Improvement Program
  • Tribal Lands
  • Federal Lands

Policy

Safety

Small Business Innovation Research