Highway Research and Development Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.200
- Agency
-
Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 4,992 $4,076,804,470 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- Highway Research and Development Program Surface Transportation Research, Development, and Technology
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Formula Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 69-8083-0-7-401
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) operates the Highway Research and Development Program (CFDA 20.200) to fund highway research and development as authorized by the FAST Act, with the most recent grant award disbursed on August 25, 2026. The program funds concrete activities including deployment of smart traffic signal systems and corridor management technologies, intelligent transportation systems for hazard notification and incident management, advanced pavement inspection using LIDAR and computer vision, digital construction management systems and 3D bridge modeling, alternative transportation revenue mechanisms such as road usage charges and mileage-based user fees, pedestrian data collection using edge computing and video analysis, and multimodal mobility services in rural and disadvantaged communities. CFDA 20.200 is the relevant Assistance Listing number.
Award activity remains robust. FHWA has distributed 4,992 total awards since 2000, with federal dollars obligated at $4.06 billion (combined federal and non-federal total of $4.88 billion). Annual award volume averaged roughly 135 grants per year over the past five years, though 2025 showed a steep decline to 64 awards and 2026 has issued only 19 awards to date. The program is predominantly Project Grants, representing 94 percent of awards by count, with Cooperative Agreements making up the remaining 6 percent. FHWA funds nearly all awards under this program, accounting for 4,987 of 4,992 awards and $4.06 billion of the $4.08 billion in obligated federal dollars.
Recent award magnitudes range widely. Representative recent awards include artificial intelligence-driven corridor management with adaptive routing for 67 signalized intersections ($5.25 million), smart traffic signal deployment across 1,000 isolated signals in North Carolina ($14.9 million), a multimodal transportation services integration project in Tennessee ($8.67 million), and pedestrian data collection research through cooperative agreements ($250,000 each). A regional advanced mobility service for rural Louisiana leveraging transportation credits and equity engines received $9.77 million; a state-level road usage charge program in Hawaii received $7.2 million; and a multistate sustainable transportation revenue research project received $6.71 million.
Recent open or recently closed opportunities include the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program (FY 2023–2024, selections announced October 2024, totaling over $96 million to 20 projects); the Strategic Innovation for Revenue Collection (SIRC) Program for road usage fees and user-based revenue mechanisms; the Exploratory Advanced Research Program soliciting cooperative agreements for pedestrian data collection and novel analysis approaches (up to $2 million); and the Advanced Digital Construction Management Systems (ADCMS) Round 2 with up to $17 million per fiscal year for FY 2024–2026. A new Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration opportunity remains open with a due date of February 24, 2025, funding any project activities eligible under title 23, U.S.C. across planning, financing, operation, structures, materials, pavements, environment, and construction phases.
Objective and description
- Objective
The objective is to carry out the highway research and development program as authorized by the FAST Act and conduct research needed to maintain and improve our vital transportation infrastructure. The FAST Act addresses the many challenges facing ou
- Description
The FAST Act addresses the many challenges facing our transportation system today by providing funding for improving highway safety, improving infrastructure integrity, strengthening transportation planning and environmental decision making, reducing congestion, improving highway operations, enhancing freight movement productivity, and exploratory advanced research.
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Varies by project. See individual project NOFO for details. (NOFOs issued at www.Grants.gov.)
- Beneficiary eligibility
State Departments of Transportation, Local Governments, General Public
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Varies by project. See individual project NOFOs for details. (NOFOs issued at www.Grants.gov.) Funds generally become available at the beginning of the fiscal year for which they are authorized, and are available until expended or as otherwise designated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Varies by project. FHWA determines criteria for selecting proposals based on the stated objectives of the funding opportunity.
- Award procedure
Varies by project. FHWA evaluates applications and selects awardee(s) in accordance with the NOFO stated criteria(s).
- Time to approval or disapproval
Varies by project. See individual project NOFOs for details. Generally 4 to 6 months (120 to 180 days) after application submittal.
Grant opportunities
Show 39 more
Latest 49 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 4,992 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Academy Of Sciences | $1,201,295,377 | 29% |
| 2 | Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners LLC | $61,761,580 | 2% |
| 3 | American Association Of State Highway & Transportation Officials | $58,631,710 | 1% |
| 4 | Department Of Transportation California | $48,909,333 | 1% |
| 5 | Texas Department Of Transportation | $40,000,135 | 1% |
| 6 | Delaware Department Of Transportation | $37,529,748 | 1% |
| 7 | Western Research Institute | $35,311,725 | 1% |
| 8 | Washington ST Department Of Transportation | $35,168,642 | 1% |
| 9 | Utah Department Of Transportation | $34,192,502 | 1% |
| 10 | City Of Columbus | $32,961,690 | 1% |
10 of 275 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $79,058,287 |
| FY2025 | $144,846,498 |
| FY2024 | $220,498,095 |
| FY2023 | $161,981,801 |
| FY2022 | $114,711,824 |
| FY2021 | $163,979,527 |
| FY2020 | $131,714,931 |
| FY2019 | $140,611,734 |
| FY2018 | $211,927,043 |
| FY2017 | $103,069,459 |
| FY2016 | $180,241,179 |
| FY2015 | $124,682,954 |
| FY2014 | $152,022,321 |
| FY2013 | $116,086,662 |
| FY2012 | $69,897,522 |
| FY2011 | $113,299,220 |
| FY2010 | $139,676,799 |
| FY2009 | $56,881,409 |
| FY2008 | $90,332,843 |
| FY2007 | $413,576,146 |
| FY2006 | $37,313,807 |
| FY2004 | $175,031 |
| FY2003 | $178,800 |
| FY2002 | $180,800 |
| FY2001 | $175,800 |
Show all 25
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.200?
Assistance Listing 20.200 is Highway Research and Development Program, a federal grant program run by Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Highway Research and Development Program?
Its CFDA number is 20.200: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.200 awarded?
4,992 grant awards under 20.200 have obligated $4,076,804,470 in federal funds to 275 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.200?
The recipients obligated the most under Highway Research and Development Program are National Academy Of Sciences ($1,201,295,377), Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners LLC ($61,761,580) and American Association Of State Highway & Transportation Officials ($58,631,710).
How much did 20.200 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 20.200 obligated $144,846,498 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 20.200?
None of the latest 49 opportunities under 20.200 is open now. The latest, Support of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Innovation Management (AIM) Program, was posted on January 14, 2025.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
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