Interdisciplinary Transportation Law and Policy Technology Training Development

The U.S. Department of Transportation, through its Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, is offering a $600,000 cooperative agreement to a university to develop and implement an interdisciplinary training program addressing the gap between emerging transportation technologies and legal and policy decision-makers. Over a 24-month period, the selected institution will design and deliver three components: a one-week intensive training for legislative and policy support staff, a one-hour executive briefing for lawmakers and policymakers, and a full semester-long law school curriculum focused on artificial intelligence, automated vehicles, and their supporting infrastructure. The program is authorized under 49 U.S. Code §5505 and funded through FY2023 appropriations, with annual in-person meetings required in Washington, DC, and national implementation of training activities expected. Applicants must demonstrate subject matter expertise in transportation law, policy, and emerging technologies, and proposals will be evaluated primarily on technical merit, including team qualifications, feasibility of the program plan, organizational capacity, and quality of the monitoring and evaluation framework. Cost matching of at least 50% is required, though technical excellence remains the dominant factor in award selection. The recipient must comply with 2 CFR Part 200, maintain an active SAM registration with a valid UEI, and affirmatively certify compliance with civil rights statutes, including Title VI, the ADA, and Section 504, as well as Executive Order 14173, which prohibits DEI programs violating federal anti-discrimination laws. Quarterly financial and technical reports are mandatory, and the award is non-renewable unless at the sole discretion of DOT. All submissions must be made via Grants.gov, adhere to strict formatting guidelines, and include required forms such as SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, and the latest NICRA, with the technical proposal limited to 25 pages. Non-compliance with any representation, certification, or reporting obligation may result in termination of funding and recovery of federal funds.