Skip to contentU.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration FHWA HomeFeedback

STEP: A Federal Research Program - conducting research that links to practice
FHWA > HEP > STEP
  1. What is the STEP?
  2. How much STEP money is there?
  3. What is STEP money used for?
  4. Who gets STEP money?
  5. Is there a match requirement for STEP funds?
  6. Can University Transportation Center or State Planning and Research funds be used as a match to STEP funds?
  7. How are STEP projects selected?
  8. How are stakeholders involved once the STEP Plan is approved?
  9. What mechanisms are used to award STEP funds?
  10. Where do I go to get more information about STEP?
  11. What is the STEP Timeline?
  12. Where can stakeholders go to see which STEP projects were awarded based on stakeholder feedback?

1. What is the STEP?

  • The Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) is a federally-administered nationally oriented research program authorized in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to improve the understanding of the relationship between surface transportation and the environment;
  • STEP implements a national research agenda that is reflective of priorities established in TRB Special Report 268 (these include: human health, ecology and natural systems, environmental and social justice, emerging technologies, land use, and planning and performance measures); and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Transportation Research and Development Strategic Plan; and
  • STEP is the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) authorized source of funding for surface transportation environmental and planning research. It funds ongoing and new nationally focused applied and basic research.

Top of Page

2. How much STEP money is there?

SAFETEA-LU authorized $16.875 million per year for FY2006-FY2009 to implement this new program. However, due to obligation limitations, rescissions and the over-designation of Title V Research in SAFETEA-LU, approximately $12.8 million of the $16.875 million authorized is expected to be available each year.

Top of Page

3. What is STEP money used for?

Funds are used to identify, address and reassess national research priorities for planning, environment and realty related to the implementation of the Federal Aid Highway Program under Chapter 1 of Title 23 United States Code. These research efforts also help achieve national objectives for streamlining, congestion reduction, safety and security.

Top of Page

4. Who gets STEP money?

STEP funds can be awarded to the same entities that are eligible for other Federal Aid funds including:

  • State governments (departments of transportation, resource agencies, etc.)
  • Metropolitan planning organizations
  • Local governments
  • Universities
  • Federal agencies
  • Private sector

Top of Page

5. Is there a match requirement for STEP funds?

Yes, for grants and cooperative agreements. Congress mandated that there be a 50 percent non-Federal match for research funded under Title V of SAFETEA-LU, including STEP. This "non-Federal match" requirement does not apply to funds that are awarded via contracts or Federal Interagency Agreements.

Top of Page

6. Can University Transportation Center or State Planning and Research funds be used as a match to STEP funds?

No. SAFETEA-LU does not allow University Transportation Center or State Planning and Research funds to be used as the non-Federal match for STEP.

Top of Page

7. How are STEP projects selected?

Projects are selected using a rolling, yearly process. Each fiscal year, an announcement is published in the Federal Register requesting suggested lines of research. Stakeholders submit feedback regarding research. This feedback is used by the contact persons identified for each research emphasis area to coordinate and develop the annual STEP Plan. The FHWA Associate Administrator for the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty makes final funding decisions and approves the annual STEP Plan. The annual STEP Plan can be found on the website at www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm.

Emphasis area contacts lead implementation of STEP research within an emphasis area. They work with staff and other partners to develop and implement specific projects and initiatives.

Top of Page

8. How are stakeholders involved once the STEP Plan is approved?

Stakeholders are involved in a variety of ways.

  • Outreach and stakeholder input/feedback are on-going and are used to refine and implement this national research agenda. These outreach activities include: national workshops, annual community of practice conferences, program advisory groups, etc.
  • Partnerships are formed to leverage funds with other sources including: Federal, State and Local agencies, National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Future Strategic Highway Research Program, pooled funds, foreign jurisdictions, etc.
  • Peer reviews are utilized to solicit input from partners and stakeholders in the development of projects and in the review of selected reports and publications
  • Technical working groups or other informal stakeholder groups (including Federal as well as State partners) are utilized to identify and follow specific projects and to review results related to several initiatives including: climate change, travel model improvements, Eco-Logical grants, traffic noise model development, transportation planning capacity building, bi-national border activities, and outdoor advertising control.
  • Stakeholders are also encouraged to distribute and publicize procurement solicitations as well as research results.

Top of Page

9. What mechanisms are used to award STEP funds?

A variety of procurement mechanisms are used to award STEP funds including indefinite quantities contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, small purchase contracts, interagency agreements, etc. Broad Agency Announcements are also used to obtain broad and diverse perspectives and options for advancing particular research initiatives. Information regarding requests for proposals is posted on the STEP website as it becomes available.

Top of Page

10. Where do I go to get more information about STEP?

Information regarding the STEP is available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/step/index.htm. Contact persons for each research emphasis areas are also listed on the STEP website. These contact persons are the best source of information regarding the status of research in a particular area.

Top of Page

11. What is the STEP Timeline?

Winter

Implement current fiscal year STEP plan via appropriate procurement methods, agreements and partnerships. (May shift depending on appropriations)

STEP emphasis area contacts lead implementation of STEP research within their emphasis area. They work with staff and other partners to implement the research projects and ensure coordination between projects funded in previous fiscal years.

Spring

Refine STEP Implementation Strategy/Goals/Emphasis Areas.

FHWA solicits feedback on next fiscal year through a Federal Register Notice and updated website information.

Conduct outreach for next fiscal year by emphasis area, review research needs and identify gaps.

Spring/Fall

Analyze feedback and develop priorities for and fund critical research.

Develop next draft fiscal year STEP Plan that reflects results of the outreach and stakeholder feedback.

Fall/Winter

The Associate Administrator for the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty approves the annual STEP Plan.

Post current fiscal year plan on STEP website. (May shift depending on appropriations)

Top of Page

12. Q:Where can stakeholders go to see which STEP projects were awarded based on stakeholder feedback?

A: Project information can be found at the Transportation Research Board's Research In Progress (RIP) Database.

Top of Page

Provide Feedback for Fiscal Year 2010 STEP Topics

To provide Suggestions or Comments for this web page contact Phil Roke at phil.roke@dot.gov.

FHWA Home | HEP Home | Feedback
FHWA
United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration