1. Transformational Technologies: Can Our Research Processes Keep Up?

2. TRB Dialogue: Can Our Research Processes Keep Up?
Continuing presentations/roundtable discussions
2016 TRB Annual Meeting
AASHTO SCOR and RAC Annual Meetings
Automated Vehicle Symposium
Building and sharing list of
options for consideration

3. Technologies Impacting Transportation
Transformational
Technologies Impacting Transportation
Connected/automated vehicles, shared vehicles, advanced versions of on-demand shared ride and micro-transit services, NextGen, unmanned aerial systems, 3D printing, cog in “internet-of-things” & “smart cities”

4. Why Are We Having This Dialogue?
Private sector investing billions in R&D
Research needed to inform public sector based on fact, rather than sensationalism or extremes
Facilitate ability of public sector to facilitate deployment in a manner & timeframe to achieve policy objectives
Conventional public agency approaches to research may need to be re-examined
Timeframes not compatible with
transformational technologies

5. Typical Research Lifecycle
Problem Statement Identification
Statement Review and Refinement
Research Project Selection
Contracting
Conducting Research
Publication
Implementation
Identification of Research Priorities
Typical
Research
Lifecycle
Years!

6. Question 1
What are areas of great potential to move to a more timely & strategic research approach?

7. Redefine Research “Project”
Address research program areas as a continuum rather than as discrete individual projects
Program rather than by project focus
Continuity of R&D process
Interactive nature of R&D

8. Parallel Tasking
Accomplish tasks in parallel rather than in series, & bring together at the end
Break research questions into smaller “chunks”
Rely on standing pool of peer reviewers/continuous peer reviews
Release interim results and/or “pre-publication” findings before final editing

9. Looking Forward
Use of Scenario Planning
Consider emerging needs

10. What are some ways we can accomplish that transformation?
Question 2
What are some ways we can accomplish that transformation?

11. Identify and Remove Obstacles
What are the obstacles that will prevent or inhibit change?
How do we remove or overcome these obstacles?

12. Create Impetus for Change
Even clearly beneficial changes must overcome inertia
Change typically doesn’t happen without strong impetus
How do we create that?

13. Getting Practical Build leadership support
Pursue strategic level research
Focus RFPs on outcomes rather than processes
Enhance agility/flexibility for researchers and staff
Reduce administrative burdens
Other steps?

14. Leveraging Demos
Take advantage of scheduled field tests/demonstrations

15. Question 3
Are there models from other sectors that we should be looking at?

16. Elements To Expedite Problem Statement Identification
Statement Review and Refinement
Research Project Selection
Contracting
Conducting Research
Publication
Implementation
Identification of Research Priorities
Elements To
Expedite

17. Potential Models Rapid response models (e.g., NSF)
Continuous open call for proposals
Prequalification of contractors
RFQ vs. RFP
IDIQ contracts
“Design-build”

18. Potential Sources of Models
Public agencies
Private sector
Universities
National labs
International
NSF
DARPA
Others?

19. Next Steps Synthesize comments and feedback
Review by TRB Conduct of Research committee
Share results
Summary flyer
More in-depth report
Distribute/publicize
Present at webinars, sessions, etc.

20. What do YOU think?