1. AIRPORT COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
Thomas Anderson, ACRP Ambassador
General Counsel (Retired)
Minneapolis- St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC)
April 12, 2018
*Ambassadors are volunteers, not employees of
The National Academies or the Transportation Research Board

2. Transportation Research Board (TRB)
One of seven program units of the National Academies
Promotes innovation and progress in transportation through research and information exchange
Administers several Cooperative Research Programs, including ACRP
Oversees 200+ standing committees and task forces
The Transportation Research Board
TRB is one seven program units of the National Academies.
TRB is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.
TRB manages the Airport Cooperative Research Program, in addition to other transportation research programs
Mission The mission of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research.  In an objective and interdisciplinary setting, TRB facilitates the sharing of information on transportation practice and policy by researchers and practitioners; stimulates research and offers research management services that promote technical excellence; provides expert advice on transportation policy and programs; and disseminates research results broadly and encouraged their implementation.

3. ACRP
An industry-driven, applied research program that develops near-term, practical solutions to problems airport operators face
Authorized by Congress; sponsored by FAA
Driven by and for the airport industry
Research contractors are selected on a competitive proposal basis
Project panels comprised of volunteers develop the scope of work, select contractors, oversee research, and review results
Driven by and for airport industry; ACRP coordinates the identification of gaps in research, the conducting of research, the creation of products that describe the research results, and the dissemination of solutions.
Research is funded by FAA and conducted by contractors who are selected on a competitive proposal basis
All research results are available for free on ACRP website
The ACRP Oversight Committee—or AOC—reviews and selects projects for funding

4. ACRP Research Areas Administration Human Resources Environment Design
Policy & Planning
Construction
Safety
Maintenance
Operations
Security
ACRP research is conducted across 10 primary research areas. These research areas are designed to cover the wide range of issues airports face.
Special projects include synthesis reports, legal research digests, research results digests, as well as other opportunities for students and industry practitioners to get involved and disseminate results.
Special Projects

5. How Research Topics Are Selected
Using IdeaHub, Idea Owners and Teams transform research ideas into complete problem statements
ACRP “harvests” problem statements from IdeaHub in mid-March
ACRP selects among problem statements to fund projects that are:
Relevant and valuable to airports
Technically feasible
Not being addressed by current research within ACRP or elsewhere in the industry
You may be wondering…what is the difference between a research idea and a problem statement? How do ideas on IdeaHub even become research?
Research ideas range from initial thoughts on a problem or issue confronting an airport to carefully considered concepts.
Problem statements however are formal written justifications for why ACRP should fund a research project to address the idea or problem.
Ideas are submitted on IdeaHub and through crowdsourcing, they can progress through different phases and ultimately become a problem statement.
Ideas that evolve into problem statements are the basis of all ACRP research and ultimately shape the value and utility of ACRP’s research products.
With limited funding available each year, the AOC selects projects that the industry believes will most benefit airports
Therefore well-thought-out and well-written problem statements are critical.

6. ACRP’s Research Process
Panel comments on all reports and deliverables to improve value to industry
Panel oversees contractor’s progress through teleconferences and meetings
Panel reviews proposals and selects a contractor
Panel develops scope of work from original problem statement
A project panel is formed
When the AOC selects a problem statement for a research project, ACRP calls on the broader community for nominations to form project panels.
Panelists are appointed by the Transportation Research Board, and the project panel provides technical guidance and counsel throughout the life of the project.
Panels include experienced practitioners and research specialists; heavy emphasis is placed on including members representing airports and/or the intended users of the research products.
The panels prepare a scope of work and select contractors based on evaluation of the proposals received; they guide the projects and review the reports. As in other TRB activities, ACRP project panel members serve voluntarily.

7. ACRP Today 500+ research projects authorized since 2006
More than 420 ACRP-produced resources are readily available to industry practitioners
19 new projects planned for FY2018
700+ industry volunteers participating
Participants come from airports, airlines, consulting firms, academia, state and federal government agencies, and industry associations

8. Five Ways to Get Involved
1. Join the ACRP IdeaHub community
2. Volunteer for a project panel
3. Prepare a research proposal
4. Answer an ACRP survey
5. Use the research results
Presenter: tailor this slide to reference where ACRP is in its annual research cycle.

9. 1. Join the ACRP IdeaHub Community
Visit ACRP’s website (trb.org/acrp) to register for IdeaHub
Submit your own research ideas
Collaborate with others to develop and refine ideas into problem statements
Join the ACRP IdeaHub Community
Visit ACRP’s website to register for IdeaHub
Submit your own research ideas
Collaborate with others to develop and refine ideas into problem statements
All ACRP problem statements are developed and submitted in IdeaHub.
Problem statements include:
A title and general description of the problem
Brief description of the research proposed, and how it relates to the problem
An estimate of the funds and time needed to complete the research

10. ACRP IdeaHub
LINK to IDEAHUB 10

11. 2. Volunteer for a Project Panel
Project panels provide technical guidance and counsel to projects from start to end
Nominations to serve on project panels are usually due in August or September
Using the MyACRP portal, nominate yourself or a colleague to serve
Volunteer for a Project Panel
ACRP needs experts to serve on panels. Nominate yourself or a colleague in August and September to serve on a project panel in the fall.
Use MyACRP, an online practitioner’s portal, to submit nominations.
See this page for more information and the nomination form:

12. 3. Prepare a Research Proposal
Any interested individual, agency, or others may submit a proposal in response to a RFP
Detailed instructions for proposers are available on ACRP’s website
Prepare a Research Proposal
Any interested individual, agency, or others may submit a proposal in response to a RFP
Proposals from potential research contractors are evaluated by the project panels. The evaluation considers the following:
the proposer's demonstrated understanding of the problem;
the merit of the proposed research approach and experiment design;
experience, qualifications, and objectivity of the research team in the same or closely related areas;
the plan for promoting application of results;
the proposer's plan for participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises--small firms owned and controlled by minorities or women; and
the adequacy of the facilities.

13. 4. Answer an ACRP Survey
Researchers need input from airport practitioners to identify best practices, create case studies, and complete research objectives
ACRP needs input from the industry to improve the value and utility of its research products and programs
Answer an ACRP survey.
ACRP research projects are based on a thorough assessment of current knowledge and practice within the airport industry.
By participating in surveys, airports share their experiences and contribute new knowledge to ACRP.

14. 5. Use the Research Results
ACRP research results take many forms:
Comprehensive Reports and Guidebooks
Syntheses
WebResources (new!)
Legal Research Digests
Research Results Digests
SEARCH at
FREE to download
Use the Research Results
Research results take different forms, depending on the subject nature and intended audience.
Generally, the Project Report is the most comprehensive research product, while Synthesis Reports and Research Results Digest provide syntheses of project reports.
Impacts on Practice documents provide an excellent way to see how airports are using ACRP research to address issues at their facilities.
All ACRP research products can be downloaded for free from ACRP’s website.

15. And… If you have used an ACRP Research Report at your airport—Help us spread the word by sharing an “Impacts on Practice” Story
Use the Research Results
Research results take different forms, depending on the subject nature and intended audience.
Generally, the Project Report is the most comprehensive research product, while Synthesis Reports and Research Results Digest provide syntheses of project reports.
Impacts on Practice documents provide an excellent way to see how airports are using ACRP research to address issues at their facilities.
All ACRP research products can be downloaded for free from ACRP’s website. 15

16. Sample Research Reports
Report 16: Guidebook for Managing Small Airports (2009) Contents include Governance Structure, Finance, Operations, Planning and Development, Public Relations, Commercial Service
EXAMPLE SLIDE for purposes of demonstration
Update with example reports that are most applicable to your specific event/audience.

17. Synthesis Reports
Synthesis Report 88: Airport Operator Options for Delivery of FBO Services (2018) Contents include - Procurement Process, FBO Leases, Airport experiences with different FBO models, Part 13 and Part 16 process
EXAMPLE SLIDE for purposes of demonstration
Update with example reports that are most applicable to your specific event/audience.

18. Legal Research Digests
Survey of Law and Regulations of Airport Commercial Ground Transportation
Listing of related statutory resources
Web links to various resources
Bibliography of notable articles
EXAMPLE SLIDE for purposes of demonstration
Update with example reports that are most applicable to your specific event/audience. 18

19. Many Other Topics of Interest
Legal Research Digest 32 - Unmanned Aircraft Systems (2017) Synthesis 84 -Transportation Network Companies (2017) Legal Research Digest 28 – Operational and Legal Issues with Fuel Farms (2017) Report 113 – Guidebook on General Aviation Facility Planning (2014) Report 114 – Guidebook on Through the Fence Operations (2014)
EXAMPLE SLIDE for purposes of demonstration
Update with example reports that are most applicable to your specific event/audience. 19

20. Other Ways to Participate
In addition to working on a research problem, there are other ways to engage. Industry practitioners can:
Submit an Impacts on Practice lead.
Become an Ambassador. Ambassadors represent ACRP at events and conferences across the country.
Sponsor or become an ACRP Champion.
Attend an ACRP Insight Event
Visit us online: 20

21. ACRP Insight Events and Webinars
Check TRB.org/ACRP
April 10-11, 2018
Insight Event: Challenges to Implementing Successful Land Use Strategies at Airports
April 26, 2018
Webinar: Generating Revenue from Commercial Development on or Adjacent to Airports
EXAMPLE SLIDE for purposes of demonstration
Update with example reports that are most applicable to your specific event/audience. 21

22. Get Social! Participate in online discussions
Share YOUR success #ACRPImpact
Get program
ACRP has an active members-only group on LinkedIn. 22

23. For More Information www.TRB.org/ACRP Regular news and updates on
Upcoming and ongoing research projects
New publications
Success stories
Announcements
And more!