Opportunity Information: Apply for CLIMATEANDTRANS
The Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), through its Research and Technology office (69A355), is offering a discretionary grant opportunity titled "Research Partnership on Climate Change and Transportation." The goal is to establish and support a climate and transportation research center that can generate practical, decision-ready research to help the transportation sector cut greenhouse gas emissions while also strengthening resilience to climate-related hazards. This center is intended to serve as a focused hub for research, collaboration, and applied analysis that directly supports current federal transportation and climate priorities.
At its core, the funded research center is expected to advance work that helps reduce transportation-sector greenhouse gas emissions and also lowers emissions associated with transportation projects across their full lifecycle. That includes looking beyond tailpipe emissions to consider the climate impacts of materials and construction, encouraging strategies that reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from project materials. At the same time, the research emphasis includes incorporating evidence-based resilience and adaptation measures into transportation planning, design, and delivery, so infrastructure is better prepared for climate stressors like extreme heat, flooding, sea level rise, wildfire smoke, and more frequent severe storms. Another major thread is environmental stewardship: the center should support approaches that avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts related to air and water quality, wetlands, and endangered species, reflecting the expectation that transportation solutions should not trade climate progress for other environmental harms.
Equity and environmental justice are explicit, central requirements of the opportunity. U.S. DOT is seeking research that addresses the disproportionate negative environmental impacts of transportation experienced by disadvantaged communities, aligning the work with Executive Order 14008 on tackling the climate crisis. In addition, the center is expected to produce research that helps transportation programs deliver benefits more fairly and reduce inequities in outcomes. This includes supporting efforts to create proportional impacts for all populations in a project area, remove transportation-related disparities affecting all populations in a project area, and increase equitable access to the benefits generated by transportation investments, consistent with Executive Order 13985 on advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities. In practical terms, this signals an interest in research that can inform how projects are selected, designed, and evaluated so that benefits like safety, mobility, air quality improvements, and economic opportunity are not unevenly distributed, and so that burdens like pollution exposure, noise, and displacement risks are reduced.
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally means the federal government expects substantial involvement during the project period rather than a hands-off grant. U.S. DOT anticipates making a single award under this opportunity, with an award ceiling of $2,500,000. The program is listed under CFDA number 20.946 and categorized under transportation as the funding activity area. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education, with additional eligible applicant types indicated by the notice (described as "Others" with further clarification referenced in the full eligibility text). The opportunity was created on September 28, 2023, and the original application closing date was November 27, 2023.
Overall, this opportunity is designed to fund one research center that can help U.S. DOT and its partners move from broad climate and equity goals to concrete, evidence-based transportation practices. The ideal center would be positioned to produce actionable research on emissions reduction, resilient infrastructure design, lifecycle and materials impacts, protection of sensitive environmental resources, and equitable distribution of transportation benefits and burdens, with outputs that can realistically shape policy, guidance, and project delivery across the transportation sector.Apply for CLIMATEANDTRANS
- The Department of Transportation, 69A355 Research and Technology in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND TRANSPORTATION" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.946.
- This funding opportunity was created on Sep 28, 2023.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Nov 27, 2023. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Research Partnership on Climate Change and Transportation (U.S. DOT)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The discretionary grant opportunity is titled "Research Partnership on Climate Change and Transportation."
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT), through its Research and Technology office (69A355).
What is the main purpose of the award?
The purpose is to establish and support a climate and transportation research center that produces practical, decision-ready research to help the transportation sector reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards.
What type of entity is being funded (a project or a center)?
The award is intended to fund one research center that acts as a focused hub for research, collaboration, and applied analysis aligned with current federal transportation and climate priorities.
How many awards does U.S. DOT expect to make?
U.S. DOT anticipates making a single award under this opportunity.
What is the maximum funding amount available?
The award has an award ceiling of $2,500,000.
What is the funding instrument for this opportunity?
The funding mechanism is a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates substantial federal involvement during the project period.
What does "cooperative agreement" imply for recipients?
Based on the notice description, a cooperative agreement suggests the federal government will be actively involved during the project period rather than treating the award as a fully hands-off grant.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The program is listed under CFDA 20.946.
What is the funding activity area?
The funding activity area is categorized under Transportation.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include:
- Public and state-controlled institutions of higher education
- Private institutions of higher education
- Other eligible applicant types as indicated by the notice (described as "Others," with additional clarification referenced in the full eligibility text)
What is the overarching research focus of the center?
The center is expected to generate actionable research that helps the transportation sector:
- Cut greenhouse gas emissions
- Improve resilience to climate-related hazards
- Advance environmental stewardship without shifting climate benefits into other environmental harms
- Deliver equity and environmental justice outcomes as explicit and central requirements
What kinds of greenhouse gas emissions reductions are emphasized?
The opportunity emphasizes reducing:
- Transportation-sector greenhouse gas emissions
- Emissions associated with transportation projects across their full lifecycle, including impacts beyond tailpipe emissions
Does the lifecycle of transportation projects matter in this program?
Yes. The notice highlights lifecycle impacts, including climate impacts related to materials and construction, and encourages strategies that reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from project materials.
What climate resilience and adaptation topics are included?
The center is expected to support evidence-based resilience and adaptation measures in transportation planning, design, and delivery to prepare infrastructure for climate stressors such as:
- Extreme heat
- Flooding
- Sea level rise
- Wildfire smoke
- More frequent severe storms
- Other climate-related hazards
Is environmental stewardship part of the expected work?
Yes. The center should support approaches that avoid or minimize adverse environmental impacts, including impacts related to:
- Air quality
- Water quality
- Wetlands
- Endangered species
How does the opportunity address environmental justice?
Equity and environmental justice are described as explicit, central requirements. U.S. DOT is seeking research that addresses the disproportionate negative environmental impacts of transportation experienced by disadvantaged communities, aligning with Executive Order 14008.
How does the opportunity address equity in transportation outcomes?
The center is expected to produce research that helps transportation programs deliver benefits more fairly and reduce inequities in outcomes, consistent with Executive Order 13985. The notice specifically references research supporting efforts to:
- Create proportional impacts for all populations in a project area
- Remove transportation-related disparities affecting all populations in a project area
- Increase equitable access to benefits generated by transportation investments
What types of benefits and burdens are mentioned in the equity context?
The notice signals interest in research that can inform how projects are selected, designed, and evaluated so that benefits are not unevenly distributed and burdens are reduced. Examples mentioned include benefits such as:
- Safety
- Mobility
- Air quality improvements
- Economic opportunity
And burdens such as:
- Pollution exposure
- Noise
- Displacement risks
Is this opportunity aimed at research that can influence real-world decisions?
Yes. The center is intended to generate practical, decision-ready research with outputs that can realistically shape policy, guidance, and project delivery across the transportation sector.
When was this opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on September 28, 2023.
What was the original application closing date?
The original application closing date was November 27, 2023.
What is U.S. DOT ultimately trying to achieve through this research center?
The opportunity is designed to help U.S. DOT and partners move from broad climate and equity goals to concrete, evidence-based transportation practices, including actionable work on:
- Emissions reduction
- Resilient infrastructure design
- Lifecycle and materials impacts
- Protection of sensitive environmental resources
- Equitable distribution of transportation benefits and burdens
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