1 Messaging Up Keeping Leadership Informed about TRB TRB State Representatives Business Meeting July 28, 2010 Kansas City, Missouri Leni Oman Director Office of Research & Library Services

2 Be Creative/Use Every Opportunity Strategic Implementation Plan reporting Participation in the TRB Annual Meeting/Report out Briefings for presentations to TRB meetings Lists of nominees and selected employees ROI information for TRB funded activities State Visits NCHRP CEO Ballot Project results Distributing Critical issues Triennial Agreement Budget documents Issue support (provide recent relevant research)

3 Never provide information without stating the value Facts on File about TRB What is TRB How WSDOT is involved with TRB Lists of WSDOT nominees and fate Current participants ROI information for TRB funded activities The value of the services & products to WSDOT Problem statements submitted and fate How we compare

1863 National Academy of Sciences 1964 National Academy of Engineering 1970 Institute of Medicine Technical Activities Studies & Special Programs Administration & Finance Cooperative Research Programs What is TRB? TRB Divisions NRC Divisions 4

WSDOT’S TRB Funding WSDOT makes two voluntary contributions to TRB each year TRB Core Services: the annual budget is set through the triennial agreement. This cost is prorated across the state DOTs based on the State Planning & Research (SPR) apportionment NCHRP: equivalent to 5.5% of the federal SPR apportionment 5 Other states WSDOT’s contribution

ROI for TRB Unlimited free registration at the TRB Annual Meeting. –Value: $530 advance registration in WSDOT attendees = $14,840 Unlimited access to TRB e-sessions. $500pp (per Annual Meeting year) Annual Meeting presentation library: $95pp (per Annual Meeting year). Variable discounts for other TRB conferences and workshops. Unlimited subscriptions for TRB publications –full hard copy set of all TRB publications: $4,250. Broadly used at WSDOT Unlimited access to TRISWorld which provides access to over 700,000 records of international research publications (only available to sponsors) Unlimited online access to the Transportation Research Records. Over 9300 peer-reviewed papers published since : $5,700 (current year plus all archived years) Unlimited attendance in TRB webinars. $99 per webinar (approx 40 webinars per year = $3,960) 6

Continued: ROI for TRB Tools and events to facilitate: –Networking with experts from public agency, industry and academic organizations that represent states, federal agencies, local governments, and other countries through the Annual Meeting, mid-year conferences, web meetings and conference calls. Social networking applications are in development. –Projects and collaboration in research: Research Funding Guide Research in Progress database Research Needs Statements –Without the Core Program initiatives, each state DOT would have to invest and apply its own resources to produce and develop the same kinds of information. –For every $1 that the average state invests in TRB Core Program activities leverages approximately $101 in research-related. WSDOT leverages $105/ per each dollar spent 7

Consequences of not Funding The impact of reducing our contribution: –May be reduced levels of sponsor benefits listed above. –Might experience fewer appointments to Committees if experience is equivalent to DOTs providing full sponsorship. –Reduced funding will restrict the ability for TRB to provide innovations we’ve requested. TRB has not had to face this issue to date and the TRB Executive Committee might need to consider appropriate action. 8

WSDOT Involvement in TRB –WSDOT serves on the TRB Executive Committee –TRB State Representative –42 employees are on 60 TRB Standing (Technical) Committees We Chair six committees –49 employees on 65 Cooperative Research Project Panels We Chair 5 panels –10 employees on 13 Advisory Committees and Expert Task Groups in the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) Participation provides the opportunity to influence the direction of transportation innovation and research in a variety of topics. Have also provided summary of Washington State involvement in TRB as useful. 9

CRP Facts on File # of Problem Statements submitted and fate of those problem statements # of Panel nominees and fate of those nominations –Request summary of agency employees selected in September Participation provides the opportunity to influence the direction of transportation innovation and research in a variety of topics and shape projects and products to meet the needs of Washington. 10

2010 TRB Annual Meeting Facts 10,100 attendees – 65 Countries – state DOTs attendees – Federal agency attendees Over 3000 papers and presentations in more than 600 sessions and workshops January 10-14, Washington DC WSDOT Employees involved in TRB Activities 39 employees on 56 TRB Technical Committees 49 employees on 65 Cooperative Research Project Panels 10 employees on 13 Strategic Highway Research Expert Task Group 11

Why Attend? To inform and influence trends in transportation on a wide variety of issues. Gather information on practices in order to extend our knowledge and improve our products and processes. Opportunity for new employees trying to learn rapidly about a topic as well as the veteran employee keeping abreast of innovations in their field. To attract partners and funding. WSDOT employees are frequently requested as presenters, moderators, and committee members because we are developers and early adopters of new practices. 12

WSDOT Attendees 28 WSDOT employees attended 5 sponsored and 3 partially sponsored –Funding provided by FHWA, TRB, AASHTO and EWU- TTAP. 3 paid their own travel expenses 18 are members of 28 TRB Division A committees and 2 Committee Task Forces and Subcommittees 5 chaired 5 TRB committee meetings, 1 Task Force and 1 subcommittee meetings 12 presented at 14 sessions, poster sessions, and workshops 4 presided over 3 sessions and 1 poster session 21 other WSDOT staff are members of the 30 other TRB Division A committees and did not attend the meeting. 13

Name, Title Office Funding Source: –WSDOT –Sponsored –Self-funded –Augment other travel Days Attended: Sun Mon Tues Wed Thur Activities: –Committee Chair –Session Presenter –Session Moderator –Poster Presenter –TRB Committee Member –Attendee Funding opportunities identified Policy Alerts/Influence Research Needs/Influence Partnerships formed/continued Actions that will be implemented Value to WSDOT 14

Funding Source WSDOT Days Attended Sun Mon Tues Wed Role Member 2 TRB Committees Met with developer of design method for pile supported embankment – will help reduce our design conservatism for SW region project (maybe 60% cost reduction) Poster session paper on using shafts to stabilize landslides – learned about new design method plus software that could allow us to increase shaft spacing and reduce costs Met with the geosynthetics industry to develop a plan for a geosynthetic manufacturing plant audit program to improve quality and consistency Met with FHWA, ASCE, and proprietary wall industry to begin to reestablish a national wall evaluation program -- will save WSDOT staff time in conducting such reviews for WSDOT’s pre-approved proprietary wall program Tony Allen, State Geotechnical Engineer State Materials Laboratory 15

Be Ready Use every opportunity Always add statements of value Develop a handy resource of facts, refresh it periodically Push information out too – through problem statement solicitations and other research news Call TRB to help shape your message 16