The Office of Strategic Initiatives for Research and Innovation is responsible for thought leadership at Volpe. We bring together thought leaders, decision makers, and stakeholders from across the global transportation enterprise to anticipate future transportation issues, generate fresh approaches to emerging issues, anticipate transportation trends, and inform decision making.
Through high-impact, Volpe-wide initiatives, including stakeholder outreach and engagement activities, we facilitate knowledge exchange across the transportation community and heighten awareness about Volpe’s technical portfolio, capabilities, staff, and ongoing contributions to the nation.
Speaker Series
Since 2011, Volpe has invited thought leaders to provide talks on timely transportation topics. Our engaging speaker series enables a stimulating information exchange with today's thought leaders in transportation on emerging and future transportation issues.
Featuring experts from within Volpe and across the transportation enterprise, the Volpe speaker series is a dialogue on advancing transportation innovation for the public good.
Our Straight from the Source speakers are distinguished national and international guest lecturers.
Our Transportation Trajectories speakers are Volpe experts.
Speaker events typically occur at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time and include a 45-minute talk and a lively question-and-answer period.
The transportation community is invited to join the conversation in person or via webinar as guest lecturers and Volpe experts describe their work and share their knowledge of the transportation enterprise.
Learn more:
- Our current special speaker series, Beyond Traffic 2045: Reimagining Transportation
- Our past special speaker series:
- Upcoming events
- Past events
Colloquia Series: Transportation Challenges and Opportunities
Continuing its long tradition of facilitating knowledge exchange across the transportation community, Volpe hosts special speaker series and convenes roundtables around major transportation challenges and opportunities ranging from automation and the human, to critical transportation infrastructure resilience, to the impact of climate on the transportation system. Thought leaders and experts from across the transportation community, including government officials, industry leaders, prominent academics, and non-profit representatives, address major transportation themes with an eye toward the future.
Visit our Colloquia Series page.
International Outreach and Coordination
Volpe is a global leader in transportation innovation. The Office of Strategic Initiatives for Research and Innovation serves as the focal point for international activities and is committed to building stakeholder relationships and reinforcing the organization’s reach to foreign counterparts and international groups.