Research and Technology Coordinating Committee Letter Report: January 2015

A January 21, 2015 letter report from TRB’s Research and Technology Coordinating Committee (RTCC) to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers recommendations related to project evaluation in the Office of Research, Development, and Technology (RD&T) and communicating the value of RD&T.

The RTCC’s charge is to monitor and review FHWA’s research and technology activities; advise FHWA on setting a research agenda and coordination of highway research with states, universities, and other partners; review strategies to accelerate the deployment and adoption of innovation; and identify areas where research may be needed. RTCC’s review includes the process of research agenda setting; stakeholder involvement; and the conduct of research, peer review, and deployment. The committee’s role is to provide strategic, policy-level advice on topical priorities, processes, and strategies to accelerate the adoption of innovation.

The letter report recommends that FHWA run one project all the way through the agency’s project evaluation process to demonstrate its approach and develop a model for further project evaluations in the future; and take a more strategic approach to its communication efforts by targeting information to the interests and concerns of specific audiences.