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Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) conducts initial-stage investigations using reference searches, scans, and convening workshops to seek innovative ideas and advances in science and engineering that could, but currently are not, being applied in highway transportation. The purpose of seeking innovative ideas is to encourage collaboration between FHWA technical experts, other experts in the highway research community, and experts from other disciplines and industries, who can share new approaches and insights that could lead to transformative improvements in highway transportation.
Not all innovative ideas lead to Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program investments. Of the 20 to 25 ideas that the EAR Program considers annually, about one in four lead to funded research. The EAR Program seeks to leverage advances in science and engineering that could lead to breakthrough research for critical current and emerging issues in highway transportation—where the issues can be clearly articulated, but solutions are not obvious; where there is a community of experts from different disciplines, who likely have the talent and the interest in researching solutions, and who likely would not do so without EAR Program funding.
Research ContactsDavid Kuehn, david.kuehn@fhwa.dot.gov, Terry Halkyard, terry.halkyard@fhwa.dot.gov, |
Brochures |
Brochure : Exploratory Advanced Research Program (FHWA-HRT-12-019)- November 2011 |
Multimedia Downloads |
Investigating Advanced Traffic Signal Control, (N/A)- April 2011 |
Project Fact Sheets |
The Exploratory Advanced Research Program Fact Sheet - Mega-Regional Modeling: Examining Mega-Regional Travel,(FHWA-HRT-12-024)- January 2012 |
Reports |
Trends of Transportation Simulation and Modeling Based on a Selection of Exploratory Advanced Research Projects - Workshop Summary Report, August 2011,(FHWA-HRT-12-040)- July 2012 |
Scanning and Convening Activities Fact Sheets |
Fact Sheet: Exploring Bridge Maintenance and Asset Management,(FHWA-HRT-11-052)- June 2011 |
Summaries |
Executive Summary: Technological Innovations in Transportation for People with Disabilities: Workshop Executive Summary(FHWA-HRT-11-042)- September 2011 |
Web Articles |