Sec. 8101. National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program
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Chapter 5 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by inserting the following at the end: The Secretary shall establish and support a National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program. The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the Transportation Research Board of the National Research Council of the National Academies to support and carry out administrative and management activities relating to the governance of the National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program.
The National Academies shall select an advisory committee consisting of a representative cross section of freight stakeholders, including the Department of Transportation, other Federal agencies, State transportation departments, local governments, nonprofit entities, academia, private sector carriers and shippers, and other interested parties. The National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program established under this section shall include the following administrative and management elements:
The advisory committee, in consultation with interested parties, shall recommend a national research agenda for the program. The agenda shall— include an emphasis on the safe and efficient transportation and handling of hazardous materials by all modes of transportation; include a multiyear strategic plan; be fully coordinated with the activities, plans, and reports required by sections 5304 and 5305 of title 49; and be fully coordinated with the activities, plans, and reports required by section 508 of title 23, United States Code.
Interested parties may— submit research proposals to the advisory committee; participate in merit reviews of research proposals and peer reviews of research products; and receive research results. The National Academies may award research contracts and grants under the program through open competition and merit review conducted on a regular basis. The National Academies shall ensure that research contracts and grants awarded under this section are not duplicative with research conducted under other cooperative transportation research programs governed by the National Academies; nor with research conducted by the Department of Transportation or any other Federal, State, or local agency.
Research contracts and grants under the program may allow peer review of the research results. The National Academies may conduct periodic programmatic evaluations on a regular basis of research contracts and grants. The National Academies shall disseminate research findings to researchers, practitioners, and decisionmakers, through conferences and seminars, field demonstrations, workshops, training programs, presentations, testimony to government officials, the World Wide Web, publications for the general public, collaboration with the National Transportation Library, and other appropriate means.
The national research agenda required under subsection (d)(1) shall at a minimum include research in the following areas: Techniques for estimating and quantifying public benefits derived from freight transportation projects. Alternative approaches to calculating the contribution of truck and rail traffic to congestion on specific highway segments. The feasibility of consolidating origins and destinations for freight movement. Methods for incorporating estimates of domestic and international trade into landside transportation planning.
Means of synchronizing infrastructure improvements with freight transportation demand. The effect of changing patterns of freight movement on transportation planning decisions. Other research areas to identify and address emerging and future research needs related to freight transportation by all modes. The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under this section shall be up to 100 percent. In addition to using funds authorized for this section, the National Academies may seek and accept additional funding sources from public and private entities capable of accepting funding from the Department of Transportation, States, local governments, nonprofit foundations, and the private sector. .
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Transportation such sums as may be necessary to carry out section 550 of such title. The analysis for chapter 501 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by adding the following at the end: 550. National cooperative freight transportation research program. .