BAA Webinar Market Readiness 2025_Final.pdf

Accelerating Market Readiness Overview FHWA Broad Agency Announcement # 693JJ3-25-BAA-001 Web Conference November 20, 2024 Unless otherwise noted, FHWA is the source for the photos and images in this presentation.

Federal Highway Administration

Presenters Kristen Hayes Contracting Officer, Office of Acquisitions and Grants Management

Jeff Zaharewicz Director, Center for Accelerating Innovation

Amit Armstrong Program Manager, Accelerating Market Readiness

Industry Day Ground Rules

• Microsoft Forms Sign-In

• Silence electronic devices

• Please mute when not speaking

• Please do not record during event

• Please do not photograph speakers or audience

• Please drop questions in the Teams Chat

• Presentation and attendees list will be posted to SAM

• All information presented is subject to change – in the event of a conflict, official information is what is posted on SAM

Federal Highway Administration4

Outline Introduction

AMR Program Overview

General Requirements

Proposal Submission Instructions

Proposal Evaluation and Award

Questions and Answers

FHWA Center for Accelerating Innovation Since 2012, CAI served as the focal point for internal and external coordination to identify and prioritize innovations.

Foster a Culture of Innovation https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/

Federal Highway Administration6

Technology and Innovation Deployment Program Goals

• Accelerate adoption of innovative technologies in all aspects of highway transportation

• Provide leadership and incentives

• Construct longer-lasting highways

• Improve highway efficiency, safety, mobility, reliability, service life, environmental protection, and sustainability

• Develop and deploy new tools, techniques, and practices to accelerate the adoption of innovation

Technology Readiness Level: Frame of Reference

Basic Research TRL 1 to 3

1. Basic principles and research

2. Application formulated

3. Proof of Concept

Applied Research TRL 4 to 5

4. Components validated in a laboratory environment

5.Integrated components demonstrated in a laboratory environment

Development TRL 6 to 8

6. Prototype demonstrated in relevant environment

7. Prototype demonstrated in operational environment

8. Technology proven in operational environment

Implementation TRL of 9

9. Technology refined and adopted

- Every Day Counts Innovations are a TRL of 9

FHWA Accelerating Innovation Programs

Center for Accelerating Innovation

Accelerating Market Readiness Program

Federal Highway Administration10

AMR: A Bridge Between Research & Practice

Source: https://blogs.rsa.com/when-it-comes-to-your-identity-infrastructure-dont-carve-the-chasm/

Accelerating Market Readiness Goals

• Provide an assessment of emerging innovations in a shared-risk environment

• Provide sound, objective, detailed, and coordinated evaluation and reporting

• Provide marketing and communication of AMR project findings through the National STIC Network and other Stakeholder Partners

• Feed the EDC pipeline (or other deployment efforts)

Anticipated Benefits

• Spotlight on a wider range of innovations available for the transportation community to deploy

• Enhanced connections between the research and practitioner communities

• Enhanced use of available resources to capture and share knowledge and information on innovative practices

• Stronger engagement with National STIC Network

• Stronger engagement with AASHTO Innovation Management

Program Scope

Game Changing

Gap Filling, significantly advance the state-of-the-art

Significantly advance conventional practice

Advance the state-of-the-practice

TR

AN

SF

OR

MA

TI

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Federal Highway Administration14

AMR Version 1.0 (2012-2017)

FHWA Internal Program administered by FHWA-

CAI

• 2012-2016: Project Selection by FHWA Executive Director

• 2017: Projects vetted through FHWA leadership

Mobile Solution for Assessment and Reporting

(MSAR) for Emergency Relief

Federal Highway Administration15

AMR Version 2.0 (2019-2024)

Broad Agency Announcement in 2019

• 2019: 7 projects were selected and funded

FHWA Internal Program

• 2019-2024: Several internal projects completed and ongoing

Ongoing Projects

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute

• implement a fully adaptive highway lighting system and monitor its performance in terms of light level, energy consumption, crash behavior, lighting quality, and security

Illinois Center for Transportation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• integration and field deployment of a ground penetrating radar (GPR)-based compaction monitoring system by retrofitting a conventional roller

• demonstrate the GPR-based tool for real-time continuous monitoring of density during asphalt concrete layer compaction

ThermalStare, LLC

• advance a new technology for the safety analysis and load rating of in-service bridges

• field test and evaluate the capabilities of a nondestructive ultrasonic stress measurement technology with the ability to determine the total forces in steel bridge members and gusset plates in-situ

Drexel University

• increase the robustness, readiness, and ease of installation of wireless sensors for bridge assessment; allow cloud-based sensor data transmission and automated report generation to summarize conditions of bridges; and achieve several rigorous validations in the field

Applied Research Associates

• conduct a project focusing on the dynamic, viscoelastic back calculation of flexible pavement layer properties to fine-tune a software tool for an open-source release available to highway agencies for routine usage

• tool’s use will potentially lead to more reliable pavement rehabilitation design, thereby improving the service life of pavements and improving the planning of transportation infrastructure

Missouri DOT

• iTrain project will build on early efforts to develop virtual reality models for training work zone inspectors

• deploy a leader-follower truck mounted attenuator (TMA) system in the State’s two largest metropolitan areas and evaluate the system within a work zone setting

• ultimate goal for the project and deployment of the system is the elimination of worker injuries

AMR Focus Areas

Safety

• How can safety data analysis be used in ways to guide transportation agencies’ informed decision making, and work towards a future where transportation related serious injuries and fatalities are eliminated?

• How can the disproportionate transportation safety risks on State and locally owned roads in rural communities be mitigated?

• How should the infrastructure be changed to facilitate faster deployment of automated vehicles?

Shortening Project Delivery

• How can project development and delivery processes be improved or streamlined to provide timely benefits to users while safeguarding our communities and maintaining a healthy environment?

• How can Federal investments be better targeted toward transportation projects that address high priority infrastructure needs?

• How can State and local resources and private sector engagement be better leveraged?

Infrastructure Performance

• How can our transportation system’s operations and performance be improved through the entire life cycle of the infrastructure facilities?

• How can the use of innovative maintenance and preservation strategies help restore the transportation infrastructure and assets to a state of good repair?

• How can the infrastructure be planned, constructed and maintained using best operational and risk management practices?

Climate and Sustainability

• How can our transportation system’s operations and performance be improved through the entire life cycle of the infrastructure facilities in the face of future weather extremes? What can be done to ensure disrupted/damaged infrastructure is restored and adapted to future conditions quickly and economically.

• What are some innovative maintenance and preservation strategies that can help keep transportation infrastructure in a state of good repair even as the potential for impactful weather events increases?

Climate and Sustainability

• How can the infrastructure be planned, constructed and maintained over its full life cycle (or service life) to minimize transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions and costs to users and owners resulting from future extreme events and gradual change?

• How can we design and build climate resilient infrastructure that serves everyone today and in the decades to come?

Equity

• How can our transportation system expand the meaning of access to include populations historically ignored and neglected?

• How can our transportation system integrate community engagement into decision making to ensure a more inclusive and equitable infrastructure system?

• How can the transportation system begin to produce economic vitality to underserved communities that have been isolated from opportunities for wealth through obstacles in infrastructure?

Digital Twins and Advanced Simulation Techniques

• How can our transportation system’s operations and performance be improved through utilizing the digital twins at various scales and utilizing Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) capabilities.

• How can the transportation infrastructure be planned, designed, constructed, and maintained by utilizing advanced simulation techniques using AI/ML to understand the interaction between built systems and natural systems.

• How can we predict the future conditions/behaviors of transportation systems/assets by combining Digital Twins and AI/ML techniques.

Activities Eligible for AMR Funding

• Field study/field evaluation

• “Trial runs” on transportation projects

• Data collection and data analysis

• Documenting the findings of the above

• State Departments of Transportation

• Local Public Agencies

• Indian tribes

• Universities

• Private sector organizations

• Partnership/consortium of the above

• Limited to US businesses only

AMR Eligible Awardees

Federal Highway Administration30

Types of Awards

Allocation to a State

Issuance of a Contract

Federal Highway Administration31

Cost Share Requirements

Allocation to a State

Issuance of a Contract

80/20

Federal Highway Administration32

Other Details

• Available funding: Up to $3 million

• Anticipated award dates: FY 2025-FY 2027

• Anticipated period of performance: 12 to 24 months, depending on AMR topic and awardee’s work plan

Proposal Submission Instructions

Federal Highway Administration34

Important Dates

• Questions Due Date: December 16, 2024

• White Paper (Phase 1) Due Date: January 15, 2025

• Proposal (Phase 2) Due Date: To be Determined

Federal Highway Administration35

Milestones from Solicitation to Award

FHWA

issues

BAA

Evaluation of White Papers

Request for Final

Proposals

Evaluation of Final

Proposals

FHWA

makes award(s) Awardees get to work!

Federal Highway Administration36

White Paper Format and Content

Cover Page

Technical Approach

White Paper Technical Approach

1. What is the transportation challenge being addressed?

2. Brief description of the innovation.

3. Describe how the innovation supports one of the innovation topic areas listed in Appendix C.

4. How does the innovation produce a significant advancement to conventional practice?

5. What is the national demand for the innovation?

6. What is the current TRL for the innovation or technology? What TRL will the innovation or technology achieve after AMR activities? (with support for the answer)

7. What support has the innovation or technology received from other “research-to-practice” programs (e.g., Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR), National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA), Exploratory Advanced Research(EAR)?

8. What funding amount is being requested from the

Accelerating Market Readiness Program? Provide a preliminary and summary level cost estimate to accomplish the technical approach described; identification of required non-Federal cost share (required for proposed allocations to a State);

9. Provide a brief outline of the activities to be completed with the funds and describe how these activities will advance the market readiness of the technology. Include an estimated timeline to complete the work.

10. Provide a brief outline of the risks associated with this innovation/technology deployment in the current state of development.

11. If applicable – identify and describe any patented or proprietary items to be evaluated.

White Paper Evaluation Technical Merit

• Technology Readiness Level

Basic Research TRL 1 to 3

1. Basic principles and research

2. Application formulated

3. Proof of Concept

Applied Research TRL 4 to 5

4. Components validated in a laboratory environment

5.Integrated components demonstrated in a laboratory environment

Development TRL 6 to 8

6. Prototype demonstrated in relevant environment

7. Prototype demonstrated in operational environment

8. Technology proven in operational environment

Implementation TRL of 9

9. Technology refined and adopted

- Every Day Counts Innovations are a TRL of 9

White Paper Evaluation Technical Merit

• Support of USDOT and FHWA strategic initiatives/national goals

• The Government will consider overall availability of funding for allocations or awards

Federal Highway Administration43

Phase 2 Project Proposal

Technical Proposal

Cost and Pricing

Federal Highway Administration44

Phase 2 Technical Proposal

Work Plan

Management Plan

Schedule, Milestones and Evaluation Metrics

Deliverables and Products

Qualifications

Final Proposal Evaluation Technical Merit

• Advancement of the current state of practice

• Potential demand for the innovation after AMR program support

• Technical Approach

• Potential for future inclusion in EDC

• Project Team Experience

• Funding Availability

Questions?