Continue to fund the ongoing efforts of the national transit institute (NTI)

The Federal Transit Administration awarded Rutgers, The State University $11.716 million on September 25, 2025, under the Technical Assistance and Workforce Development program (CFDA 20.531) to continue operations of the National Transit Institute (NTI).

NTI, codified under 49 U.S.C. 5314(c) and housed at Rutgers under the FAST Act, develops and conducts training and educational programs for federal, state, and local transportation employees, U.S. citizens, and foreign nationals engaged in government-aided public transportation work. The institute works in cooperation with the Federal Transit Administration, state transportation departments, public transportation authorities, and national and international entities to identify industry needs and deliver high-quality programs addressing emerging trends, regulatory changes, and technological advancements in public transportation.

Program goals include training delivery excellence through skilled instructors and subject matter experts; course development and innovation to expand training programs; and operational excellence through fiscal stewardship and administrative efficiency.

The award obligates $11.716 million in FY2023 federal funding. Performance runs from August 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with place of performance in New Jersey. Rutgers' Research Financial Services Division administers the award as the prime recipient. This is a project grant, an assistance type under which FTA requires recipients to maintain evaluation of project activities and reporting of measurable outcomes and impacts.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to continue to fund the ongoing efforts of the national transit institute (NTI). The national transit institute (NTI) is codified under 49 U.S.C. 5314 (C) where its duties are defined as: in cooperation with the federal transit administration state transportation departments public transportation authorities and national and international entities the institute established under paragraph (1) shall develop and conduct training and educational programs for federal state and local transportation employees united states citizens and foreign nationals engaged or to be engaged in government-aid public transportation work. Under the fast act (P.L. 114-94) NTI is housed at and administered by rutgers university. The NTI mission statement is as follows:the national transit institutes mission is to provide training and education services in support of public transportation and the quality of life in the united states. We identify industry needs. We promote develop and deliver high-quality programs and materials through cooperative partnerships with industry government institutions and associations. We catalyze the enhancement of skills and performance in public transportation. This statement of work will cover august 1 2026 to june 30 2027 expending FY2023 federal funding.

Activities

NTI program goals are:1.training delivery excellence ensure high-quality accessible training delivered by skilled motivated instructors and subject matter experts (SMES) that meet the needs of public transportation professionals while maintaining exceptional customer service. 2.course development and innovation provide practical training by continuously developing refining and expanding training programs to address emerging industry trends regulatory changes and technological advancements.3.operational excellence maintain strong fiscal stewardship streamline administrative processes leverage technology to enhance efficiency and program effectiveness and support strong skilled motivated NTI full-time staff through ongoing development opportunities.4.advertising and outreach promote ntis training programs through strategic outreach and communication leveraging digital platforms partnerships and targeted campaigns to broaden reach and support enrollment growth. NTI will coordinate with FTA on all conferences and other events to make sure they are allowable expenses and ensure that all expenditures submitted for reimbursement under this grant are consistent with applicable law (49 U.S.C. 5314(C)) federal cost principles (2 CFR part 200 subpart E) and FTA circular 6100.1E.to measure the programs efficiency and effectiveness performance indicators for each goal will be tracked and analyzed. The indicators are listed in each section of the statement of work.NTI business operations: course instruction: NTI acquires full-time staff and coadjutant/class 8 casual employees/instructors (those who instruct for less than a full semester during an academic year) in alignment with rutgers universitys hiring and procurement guidelines and receives a paycheck from rutgers. Companies and subcontractors may participate (as SMES and/or instructors) through a competitive bidding process that varies based on the contract amount and the specialized nature of the work. Rutgers formal request for proposal (RFP) process selects subcontractors involved in higher-value or highly specialized projects. All independent contractors companies and subcontractors are paid via a purchase order and invoice process through the RU marketplace system. This is a reimbursement payment grant; NTI/rutgers university invoices FTA quarterly through the delphi system.NTI will coordinate with FTA on all conference participation speaking engagements and other events to ensure they are allowable expenses. NTI will promote its training programs through digital outreach targeted email campaigns participation in industry conferences and strategic partnerships with key industry organizations.NTI will ensure that all expenditures submitted for reimbursement under this grant are consistent with applicable law (49 U.S.C. 5314(C)) federal cost principles (2 CFR part 200 subpart E) and FTA circular 6100.1E. Travel guidelines: in-person training event travel is under the governing rutgers university travel and business expense policy guidelines and booking is through the rutgers university-preferred agency.)

Expected outcomes

NTI expects the following outcomes for each of its four statement of work goals: goal#1 - training delivery excellence: 1) total courses - deliver approximately 225-230 training events per fiscal year 2) adherence to work plan deliver at least 90% of the training in the work plan 3) increased NTI staff expand organizational capacity to support increased program output and broaden outreach responsiveness and visibility 4) course completion rates ensure at least 90% of registered participants complete NTI courses 4) participant satisfaction scores maintain an average satisfaction rating of 5 (out of 7) or higher based on post-training evaluations 5) instructor performance scores ensure 95% of instructors receive an average rating of 5 (out of 7) or higher from participants and 6) repeat participation rate at least 30% of participants enroll in additional NTI courses within 12 months.goal#2 - course development and innovation: 1) course revisions are completed on agreed-upon schedule and in cooperation with TRI FTA and industry entities 2) new course proposals are completed on agreed-upon schedule between NTI and program offices 3) develop and launch at least four new courses annually addressing emerging industry needs 4) successful revision and RE-launch of courses each year to align with evolving regulations technology and best practices. And 5) incorporate interactive and innovative training elements to keep course participants engaged and improve information retention and learning.goal#3 - operational excellence: 1) demonstrate fiscal and budgetary responsibility and adherence to work plan and FTA and rutgers university rules and guidance through timely submittal of program performance status and indicators (federal financial reports [ffrs] and milestone progress reports [mprs]) and meeting summaries and notes within 10 working days after meeting to FTA program manager. 2) attend and provide quarterly meeting summary notes within 10 working days after meeting with the FTA program manager. 3) hold annual advisory board meeting to gather expert insights to align ntis training programs with industry trends and FTA priorities provide notes/summary to FTA program managers 4) support and expand the use of interns to support program delivery and innovation provide professional opportunities for emerging talent 5) develop an annual report document that summarizes all FY program accomplishments 6) provide opportunities for staff and instructor professional development and demonstrate a low staff and instructor turnover rate 7) conduct focus groups surveys or virtual town halls and/or network at conferences with industry stakeholders.goal#4 - advertising and outreach: 1) number of partnerships established demonstrate at least 4 new partnerships/collaborations/training initiatives annually with transit agencies universities and industry organizations 2) stakeholder satisfaction conduct a survey of stakeholders and industry partners and achieve an 80%+ rating regarding ntis contributions to workforce development 3) online and social media presence update ntis website and create an online/social media presence to strengthen relationships 4) boost online traffic to the NTI website and social media posts through analytics and 5) demonstrate growth of course registrations and increased course deliveries through targeted marketing campaigns and use of new logo and materials

Intended beneficiaries

The national transit institute (NTI) develops and provides classroom-style and virtual courses and training events to enhance the skills and capacity of staff persons at transit agencies metropolitan planning organizations (MPOS) state dots and other transit-operators; transit service planning; and transit funding entities

Subrecipient activities

NTI subrecipients include firms and sole proprietor consulting companies that serve as transit related subject matter experts. These subrecipients serve as course content developers and course instructors