The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is accepting applications for two programs that will make approximately $160 million available annually for the next five years for projects that use technology to improve U.S. transportation infrastructure and make communities safer.
The first program is the new Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program. The SMART Grants Program will offer up to $100 million in grants annually over the next five years and will fund projects that use data and technology to solve real-world challenges facing communities today.
“As we undertake the most ambitious infrastructure investment in generations, thanks to the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we can and must plan for the transportation needs of the future,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “From connected vehicles that make driving safer, to smart traffic signals that reduce congestion, to sensors to detect the quality of pavement to help prioritize repair, our SMART grants will fund technology that makes people’s lives better in communities across America.”
The SMART program will fund purpose-driven innovation and focus on building data and technology capacity and expertise. The program seeks proposals from public sector entities that will carry out demonstration projects in the following domains to address key transportation priorities:
- Vehicle technology, like automation and connectivity.
- Systems innovation, like delivery and logistics, traffic signals, smart grid, and data integration.
- New ways to monitor and manage infrastructure, like sensors and unmanned aerial systems.
“Achieving our transportation priorities related to safety, economic strength, equity, and climate requires bold investment in new technologies and approaches,” said Dr. Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Science Officer at DOT. “SMART supports a broad portfolio of projects across the country that will serve as beacons as we move toward a transportation system that is data-driven, values-based, and technology-enabled.”
The second announcement is the Federal Highway Administration’s $60 million Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program to promote advanced technologies to improve safety and reduce travel times for drivers and transit riders and that can serve as national examples.
The SMART Notice of Funding (NOFO) is open now and can be found at www.grants.gov Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM EDT on Friday, November 18, 2022. Eligible entities are state, local, and tribal governments and agencies. For more information visit the Department of Transportation The ATTAIN NOFO can also be found at www.grants.gov. State departments of transportation, local governments, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organizations and other eligible entities are invited to apply. Applications must be submitted by Friday, November 18, 2022.
Read more at the Department of Transportation
