Research and Innovation
Transportation Policy and Planning
The Transportation Policy and Planning Technical Center helps transportation decision-makers make smart investments in the planning, development, management, operations, and financing of transportation systems and agencies.
Safety Management Systems
The Center for Safety Management Systems is a national resource for safety management expertise, addressing complex transportation safety issues in all modes of transportation.
Environmental and Energy Systems
The Center for Environmental and Energy Systems provides critical data and analyses to support energy independence, innovations in the movement of people and goods, and transportation-related climate-change mitigation and adaptation.
Transportation Logistics and Security
The Center for Transportation Logistics and Security addresses issues including physical and cyber security, logistics management systems, and maritime domain awareness.
Infrastructure Systems and Engineering
The Center for Infrastructure Systems and Engineering applies in-depth technical knowledge of surface, marine, and ground based aviation transportation systems to enhance their safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability.
Air Traffic Systems and Operations
The Center for Air Traffic Systems and Operations specializes in research and systems development, focusing critical expertise on the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).
Human Factors Research and System Applications
The Center for Human Factors Research and System Applications seeks to minimize operator errors by designing and testing technology and procedures for human use and researching and evaluating current and future automation technologies.
Advanced Transportation Technologies
The Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies is at the vanguard of research, development, and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and advanced vehicle and information technologies.
What We Do
The Volpe Center's eight Technical Centers encompass all of the research, innovation, technology, and program analysis functions performed on behalf of our sponsors. Each Technical Center leverages multidisciplinary capabilities to address national transportation goals. The expertise of Volpe Center's staff spans a wide range transportation modes and disciplines—staff include civil, electrical, mechanical aeronautical engineers, physical and social scientists, human factors experts, economists, planners, information technologists, and safety operation specialists to name a few. Managers build project teams drawing across the organization from this broad range of expertise. The result is innovative solutions arising from creative and resourceful collaboration.
Key Official
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Anne Aylward, Deputy Associate Administrator for Research and Innovation, leads the Volpe Center's Technical Centers. More >> |
Strategic Initiatives for Research and Innovation
By bringing together thought leaders, decision-makers, and other stakeholders from across the global transportation enterprise, we work to anticipate future transportation issues and generate fresh approaches to emerging issues. Through high-impact strategic initiatives, including outreach, we facilitate knowledge exchange across the transportation community and heighten awareness about the Volpe Center's technical portfolio, capabilities, staff and contributions to the Nation.
View strategic initiatives and upcoming events
Our Sponsors
Since 1970, the Volpe Center has provided critical support to the DOT modal administrations and offices, other Federal agencies, state and local governments and organizations, foreign governments and entities, and the private sector.
Recent Publications
Principal Technical Advisors
Our Principal Technical Advisors work closely with the Volpe Center leadership team and other senior technical staff to identify emerging transportation technologies and address pressing national transportation challenges.