Technology Partnerships

Federal Highway Administration Offers Additional Grants to Spur Innovation

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will award $1 million through a second round of grants under the Highways for LIFE Technology Partnerships Program. The purpose of the Technology Partnership Program is to partner organizations and companies with the highway construction industry to accelerate the adoption of promising innovations that reduce congestion from construction and improve safety and quality.

FHWA anticipates opening the solicitation for the program about July 24, 2008, with a closing date at the end of August. Each grant award will range from $200,000 to $500,000 for up to two years of performance.

The program is intended to fund proven innovations that have been developed to a late-stage prototype with the proof of concept well established that require further development, testing, and evaluation in a real-world setting before they would be available for commercialization. The innovation must make a significant contribution to achieving at least one of the following Highways for LIFE goals: improving project and/or work zone safety (including worker or user safety), reducing construction congestion, accelerating construction or improving quality. Applicable innovation areas include: technologies, materials, tools, equipment, procedures, specifications, methodologies, processes, or practices used in the financing, design or construction of highways or bridges.

Competition is open to all non-profit and for-profit organizations except state and local governments and institutions of higher education. State and local agencies, local municipalities, and academic institutions are excluded from competition as prime awardees but are encouraged to participate as a partner at the sub level. International companies may apply.