1. RAC-CUTC Partnership Opportunities: Where have we been?
Good morning on this last day of our meeting.
I’ve been asked to talk about where we have been with RAC-CUTC partnership opportunities.
Just as the Roman God, Janus, looks both backward and forward, it’s helpful to know where we have been so that we can look forward to the future.
Many of us have successful partnerships with our university transportation centers (that’s lowercase utc). Within the RAC and CUTC organization, we’ve been talking for a while.
Sue Sillick Montana Department of Transportation July 2018

2. We’ve been talking for a while…
2005: Gaining Benefits from University Research Funding Presentation
2006: Working with Universities and Private Companies
2007: 1st RAC-CUTC Meeting
2009: CUTC/RAC Partnering Opportunities
Roundtable
2010: 1st RAC-CUTC Liaison Group (RCLG) Meeting
Now for a brief history in time,
On the RAC website, the summer RAC meeting agendas go back to 2004.
I found the first evidence of a UTC partnering session in 2005.
The RAC/CUTC activities ramped up in 2007 with a CUTC report, our 1st RAC/CUTC meeting.
At the 2010 RAC meeting, we had our first RAC/CUTC Liaison Group Meeting where we began developing a work plan.

3. We’ve been talking for a while…
2011 RAC Meeting:
Joint RAC/CUTC Meeting (
National Research Agendas -
Successful Partnerships -
Facilitating Successful Agreements
Sharing and Disseminating Information and the Mission, Goals, Objectives, and Activities of both Organizations -
In 2011, the discussions increased again: National Research Agendas, Successful Partnerships, Facilitating Successful Agreements, and sharing information from our members. This is where the research unit briefs originated.

4. We’ve been talking for a while…
2012:
Issues Related to the Preparation and Delivery of Research Reports -
Survey of Practices Related to Research Problem Identification, Scoping, and Programming -
Identified Practices to Facilitate Successful Partnerships (White Paper)
In 2012, we discussed research reports, project scoping, and successful partnerships.
At the 2013 TRB AM, there was a presentation on what drives university contractual issues on both a short-term and long-term basis.

5. We’ve been talking for a while…
2013:
RAC/CUTC Collaboration Meeting
Workforce Development: An Update of DOT & university-Based Activities -
Workplan Status Update -
In 2013, we discussed workforce development issues.

6. We’ve been talking for a while…
2014: RAC/CUTC Collaboration Meeting
Role of Federally-funded UTCs
Success Stories of State DOT and UTC
2015: RAC/CUTC Collaboration Meeting
Focus on Workforce Development
University-Based Education Perspective -
Workforce Development Perspective -
State DOT Perspective -
In 2014 and 2015, we continued discussions on successful partnerships and workforce development issues.

7. We’ve been talking for a while…
2015: (cont.)
Your UTC and RAC: A Win-Win Approach -
2016: CUTC/RAC Collaboration Meeting
Getting the Most out of the DOT-UTC relationship -
2017: CUTC/RAC Collaboration Meeting
…and recently, more of the same.
We also conducted a couple of surveys that are posted to the survey database. In 2010, there was a very brief survey of RAC on working relationships and acquiring services from UTCs.
Another survey was conducted in April 2011, which resulted in a Top 10 Requirements for a Successful RAC/CUTC Partnership along with the documentation of case studies at the 2012 TRB AM.

8. What Have We Learned? Challenges Differing Culture
Differing Working Style
Differing Expectations
Differing Goals and Objectives
Differing Procurement Laws, Rule, and Regulations
Differing Contract Language
Each state is somewhat unique
We’ve learned that we have a lot of differences.

9. What Have We Learned? Successful Strategies
We need to understand, embrace, and learn to work within these differences.
Partnerships need to be beneficial to all parties.
Trust, confidence, and respect must exist among the parties.
Communication needs to be effective and ongoing.
There must be clear expectations and accountability.
There needs to be champions for the partnership.
A good partnership begins with good relationships between individuals.
But, we’ve also learned that despite the differences, we can successfully partner by:
- understanding, embracing, and learning to work within these differences
- developing partnerships that are beneficial to all parties
- developing trust, confidence, and respect
- effective and ongoing communication
- clear expectations and accountability and
- identifying strong champions for the partnership

10. Where do we go from here?
So…where do we go from here?