Highway Research & Development Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 20.225
- Agency
-
Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation
- Grant awards
- 12 $356,674 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance type
-
- Project 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 Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is awarding Project Grants under the Highway Research & Development Program (CFDA 20.225) to fund applied research and technology deployment projects that improve highway safety, infrastructure integrity, transportation planning, congestion reduction, freight operations, and advanced research capabilities, with the most recent grant award on August 27, 2026.
The program shows strong recent momentum, with 10 awards disbursed in 2026 compared to 2 in 2025. All 12 awards in the portfolio were issued as Project Grants with 100 percent concentration. FHWA is the sole funding agency, obligating $357 thousand in federal dollars across the recent award cycle, with recipients contributing an additional $80 thousand in matching funds (combined total obligated: $437 thousand). Award magnitudes are consistently modest, ranging from $3 thousand to $156 thousand. The largest recent award—$156 thousand to fund a statewide FY2026 Technology Transfer Program—reflects the program's emphasis on knowledge dissemination and peer exchange alongside applied research.
Recent awards demonstrate diversified scope across infrastructure inspection, emerging vehicle technology, winter road management, and planning engagement. Representative projects include the statewide acquisition and deployment of four remote snow depth sensors ($19 thousand, August 2026); a demonstration using sounding technology on unmanned aircraft systems ($12.5 thousand, August 2026); a regional ice jam peer exchange ($11 thousand, August 2026); and a Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) study funded at $125 thousand (July 2025). Several awards support technology transfer, peer learning, and workforce development through university partnerships and regional consortia with completion dates extending to 2033.
The program operates under cost-reimbursement cooperative agreements or Project Grants with mandatory cost-sharing. State DOTs receive project agreements administered through the DOT Payment System (Fiscal Management Information System); non-State DOT recipients execute cooperative agreements with FHWA. Eligible costs follow 2 CFR 200 cost principles and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
No open grant opportunities are currently advertised. Future NOFOs will be posted at Grants.gov; prior award procedures are available through example NOFO 351055. Funding availability and project specifics vary by individual solicitation.
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
This program is intended to provide funding for: - activities to improve highway safety; - activities to improve infrastructure integrity; - activities to strengthen transportation planning and - environmental decision-making; - activities to reduce congestion, improve highway operations, and enhance freight productivity; - exploratory advanced research; and - operation of FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. [23 U.S.C. 503(b)]
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Varies by project. See individual project NOFO for details. (NOFOs issued at www.Grants.gov.)
- Credentials and documentation
Eligible activities and allowable costs will be determined in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 2 CFR 200, Subpart E - Cost Principles applies to this program.
- Uses of assistance
Funding previously made available for Highway Research and Development by FHWA under the FAST Act were eligible for use under a broad range of activities eligible including- - activities to improve highway safety; - activities to improve infrastructure integrity; - activities to strengthen transportation planning and - environmental decision-making; - activities to reduce congestion, improve highway operations, and enhance freight productivity; - exploratory advanced research; and - operation of FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. [23 U.S.C. 503(b)]
- 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. Method of awarding/releasing assistance: Varies by project NOTE: Prior Research and Development awards were made under ALN 20.200. While information for this ALN is based on data linked to awards under that listing, future projections are subject to change as individual programs are granted their own respective ALN's.
How to apply
- Award procedure
In previous award cycles for the HRD programs, funding was provided to recipients whose applications were competitively selected following a merit review by USDOT subject matter experts. The instruments were cost-reimbursement cooperative agreements or grants with cost-sharing. If a recipient will be a State DOT or if a State DOT will serve as a pass-through entity to a non-State DOT entity, funds were awarded upon the execution of a project agreement, which is a type of agreement for administration of funds to a State DOT using the DOT Payment System referred to as the Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS). If the recipient is a non-State DOT, funds were awarded upon the execution of a cooperative agreement with FHWA. An example of award procedures used under a previous HRD program can be found via the following link to a NOFO in grants.gov: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/351055 Award procedures for any future NOFOs will be stated in the NOFO, as made available in Grants.gov.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 12 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Department Of Transportation | $125,000 | 35% |
| 2 | Georgia Department Of Transportation | $100,000 | 28% |
| 3 | Department Of Transportation California | $41,800 | 12% |
| 4 | Texas Department Of Transportation | $25,000 | 7% |
| 5 | Kansas Department Of Transportation | $13,675 | 4% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation | $12,400 | 3% |
| 7 | Washington ST Department Of Transportation | $10,000 | 3% |
| 8 | Michigan Department Of Transportation | $10,000 | 3% |
| 9 | Iowa Department Of Transportation | $9,999 | 3% |
| 10 | Nebraska Department Of Transportation | $8,800 | 2% |
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $356,674 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 20.225?
Assistance Listing 20.225 is Highway Research & Development Program, a federal grant program run by Federal Highway Administration (Department of Transportation).
What is the CFDA number for Highway Research & Development Program?
Its CFDA number is 20.225: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 20.225 awarded?
12 grant awards under 20.225 have obligated $356,674 in federal funds to 10 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 20.225?
The recipients obligated the most under Highway Research & Development Program are Massachusetts Department Of Transportation ($125,000), Georgia Department Of Transportation ($100,000) and Department Of Transportation California ($41,800).
On GovTribe
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