The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) collaborates with partners to meet a broad spectrum of needs that encourage the transfer of technology and the use of TFHRC’s research developments and technologies by the private sector. A key principle of the process is that both the Federal Highway Administration and its partners benefit from the relationship. The TFHRC provides fair access to its technical expertise and its designated facilities.

Informal collaborations. Researchers at TFHRC frequently collaborate informally with researchers at other organizations. These collaborations often result in joint peer-reviewed papers, short-term visits or tours of TFHRC laboratories, and shared research methods. Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center researchers may provide limited technical assistance of short-term duration involving a written response, a telephone call, onsite discussions, visits to a non-FHWA site, or a combination of these situations. These nonreimbursable services should not impede the accomplishment of TFHRC objectives and may benefit and support FHWA’s mission. These services are part of regular staff duties and subject to management approval.

More extensive collaborations include:

• Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). A CRADA is a formal partnering agreement that allows Federal laboratories to work with U.S. companies, academia, and other organizations on joint research and development projects. The CRADA provides flexibility in structuring project contributions and intellectual property rights, and in protecting research results developed during the collaboration.
• Visiting Researchers. Visiting researchers at TFHRC are technically qualified individuals from universities, companies, or other organizations who work onsite with TFHRC staff on projects of mutual interest for periods ranging from a few months to several years. Visiting researchers are generally brought in under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act Agreement.

Collaboration Opportunities: Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs)

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) engages in CRADAs with the private sector and academia to develop and commercialize new highway-related technologies. A CRADA is a written agreement to work together on a mutually beneficial project. Under the authority of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, as amended by the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986, a CRADA allows the Federal Government and non-Federal partners to optimize their resources, share technical expertise in a protected environment, share intellectual property emerging from the effort, and speed the commercialization of federally developed technology.

Each partner in the CRADA applies whatever resources are agreed to, such as personnel, equipment, or facilities. While participant dollars may be used to fund portions of the Government's effort, the Government may not use Federal funds to support the private sector participant. The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) participation is “in kind” rather than in funds.

Confidentiality: The FHWA may agree, when appropriate, that data generated under a CRADA will remain confidential in order to protect the competitive position of the industry partner for up to 5 years.

Model CRADA: Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center provides a model CRADA [LINK] to initiate negotiations on CRADA collaboration. This model is subject to negotiation between the parties.

A CRADA is an excellent technology-transfer tool. It can:

• Provide incentives that help speed the commercialization of federally developed technology.
• Allow both parties to leverage resources, knowledge, and expertise.
• Protect any proprietary information brought to the CRADA effort by the partner.
• Allow all parties to the CRADA to keep research results confidential and free from disclosure through the Freedom of Information Act for up to 5 years.
• Allow the Government and the partner to share patents and patent licenses.
• Permit one partner to retain exclusive rights to a patent or patent license.

Characteristics of TFHRC CRADAs

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center seeks CRADA partnerships using technologies that align with its mission of solving national highway problems and that fall under TFHRC’s major areas of Infrastructure, Safety, and Operations.

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center gives preference to partners whose business units are located in the United States and who agree that products resulting from the CRADA will be manufactured primarily in the United States. If the potential partner is part of a foreign-owned company, TFHRC will consider how that country works with companies based in the United States.

A CRADA may not place TFHRC or FHWA in direct competition with the private sector. Additionally, a CRADA may not conflict or interfere with regular ongoing research programs at TFHRC, or create a future burden for TFHRC and the FHWA.

How is a CRADA initiated?

Cooperative Research and Development Agreements grow out of good professional relationships between TFHRC and collaborating partners, and may be initiated either by FHWA or by industry.

• FHWA Initiated: A CRADA is initiated by FHWA when a TFHRC researcher believes that a technology or innovation has commercial potential and that there will be industry interest in developing a marketable commercial product or if industry has unique resources needed to further develop an FHWA technology or idea to a marketable stage. CRADAs initiated by FHWA are posted on FedBizOpps (https://www.fbo.gov) for all interested parties.
• Industry Initiated: CRADAs can originate out of professional interactions between a TFHRC researcher and a non-FHWA industry colleague, or when a company has begun development of a commercial product but requires the unique resources of the FHWA’s TFHRC to perform critical testing and refine the product. The firm may contact TFHRC through the process described below to initiate consideration for the development of a CRADA.

The most effective way to initiate a CRADA is for the potential participant to send a letter expressing interest to the appropriate TFHRC lab manager (as listed under each lab on this Web site) or to one of the administrative contacts listed below. The expression of interest should describe the proposed collaboration sufficient for TFHRC to review and evaluate its merit based on the critical considerations that follow, and should identify the specific TFHRC laboratory that would be engaged in any collaboration.

Correspondence not addressed to a specific lab manager may be sent to:

Jonathan Porter, Chief Scientist, at jonathan.porter@dot.gov, or Kimberly Wilkins, Director, Office of Resource Management, at kimberly.wilkins@dot.gov.

Critical considerations in the FHWA/TFHRC’s determination to enter into a CRADA include:

• Technological Merit: The proposed technology or laboratory evaluation has strong technical rationale, represents technological innovation, and couples high risk with high feasibility.
• Potential for Economic Competitiveness: The proposed collaboration offers the potential for economic benefits to the United States and its citizens.
• Facility Expertise, Equipment, and Resource Availability: The specific laboratory or Federal expertise needed to collaborate on the research effort is available at the time of the request, and TFHRC resource needs associated with conducting the research is appropriate for the perceived benefits.
• Research Gaps: The request is consistent with TFHRC focus areas and FHWA strategic research goals.

The expression of interest triggers discussions within TFHRC and, if the proposed collaboration seems promising, TFHRC and the potential participant decide whether they can define a project that benefits both parties, and whether the needed resources are available to perform the envisioned work. The TFHRC may also request additional information from the proposed participant as needed for the review process. If TFHRC agrees that collaboration would be in the best interests of all parties, a TFHRC Principal Investigator initiates a Statement of Work with the potential industry partner. The TFHRC Principal Investigator also provides a copy of the TFHRC Model CRADA to the partner as the starting point for negotiating the terms and conditions of the CRADA.

If TFHRC determines that the request does not satisfy the criteria, the costs are too high, the requested laboratory is booked for other research, or the research is not a top priority, then TFHRC will notify the requestor of the decision and the reason(s) for not proceeding with the project or if other options are available. The decision by TFHRC is final.

The TFHRC Director makes the final decision about whether TFHRC will pursue a CRADA opportunity. No funds are transferred from TFHRC to the private sector participant, so most regulations governing Federal procurements do not apply. As a result, CRADAs can usually be implemented quickly and with few complications.

Generic CRADA Process Overview

Visiting Researchers

The laboratories and programs at Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) in McLean, Virginia, help solve transportation challenges across the Nation. The following programs offer visiting researchers the opportunity to collaborate with researchers, engineers, and world-renowned experts in more than 100 disciplines.

• Intergovernmental Personnel Act
• Eisenhower Grants for Research Fellowships (GRF) program
• Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center/National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program

Intergovernmental Personnel Act

The TFHRC hosts visiting researchers from academia, other Federal and State agencies, and other eligible organizations under the Office of Personnel Management’s Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) mobility program.

Under an IPA assignment, visiting researchers have access to TFHRC research facilities and equipment while working with TFHRC staff on projects of mutual interest. The terms of the IPA agreement, including cost-sharing arrangements, are negotiated between the participating organizations. The FHWA may agree to pay all, some, or none of the costs associated with an assignment. Costs may include basic pay, supplemental pay, fringe benefits, and travel and relocation expenses.

You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for an IPA assignment.

Please note that students employed in research, graduate, or as a teaching assistant and similar temporary positions are not eligible for an IPA assignment.

Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignments can be made only if the FHWA Executive Director determines that the assignment is of mutual benefit to the FHWA and to the non-Federal organization, and that it is for sound public purposes and furthers the goals and objectives of the participating organizations.

Research results are available to the public because the IPA agreement does not provide for confidentiality of research results. If confidentiality of cooperative research results is desired, a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) may be appropriate.

For additional information on research opportunities at TFHRC, contact the appropriate laboratory. If an opportunity appears promising, the TFHRC laboratory will submit a short description of the collaborative work to be performed, along with other relevant information, to the director of TFHRC for approval, and arrange to have an IPA Mobility Assignment Agreement initiated for review by the FHWA executive director.

For more information, contact Kimberly Wilkins, kimberly.wilkins@dot.gov, 202–493–3173.

Eisenhower Grants for Research Fellowships (GRF) Program

Undergraduate and graduate students can apply for a fellowship at TFHRC under FHWA’s GRF Program. The purpose of the program is to acquaint undergraduate and graduate students with transportation research, development, and technology transfer activities at U.S. Department of Transportation facilities, including the TFHRC. Under this program, the recipient may receive a monthly stipend to relocate to the District of Columbia metropolitan area for a period of 9 to 12 months, which can be renewed or extended by FHWA. The students receive funding for education and gain valuable transportation research experience. The TFHRC benefits through the ability to bring in talented students to work on mission-related research projects and programs at TFHRC.

Recruitment is generally initiated by students completing an application in response to a specific GRF project description advertised on the Universities and Grants Programs Web site. More information about projects currently available and the application process regarding the GRF program is available at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpp/ugp.htm

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center/National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program

The postdoctoral research associateships program (RAP) is a competitive postdoctoral program administered in cooperation with the National Academies of Science and the National Research Council (NRC). The postdoctoral program brings research scientists and engineers of unusual promise and ability to perform advanced research related to the FHWA’s mission.

The program introduces the latest university research results and techniques to FHWA programs, strengthens mutual communication with university researchers, shares TFHRC’s unique research facilities with the scientific and engineering communities in the United States, and provides a valuable mechanism for the transfer of research results from TFHRC to the scientific and engineering communities.

Detailed information on procedures and all necessary application materials and supporting documents are available at the NRC Research Associateships Program Web site. Click here for the most current list of FHWA opportunities and how to apply.

The Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center/National Research Council Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center’s (TFHRC’s) Postdoctoral Research Associateships Program (RAP) is a competitive postdoctoral program administered in cooperation with the National Academies of Science and the National Research Council (NRC). The postdoctoral program brings research scientists and engineers of unusual promise and ability to perform advanced research related to the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) mission.

The program introduces the latest university research results and techniques to FHWA programs, strengthens mutual communication with university researchers, shares TFHRC’s unique research facilities with the scientific and engineering communities in the United States, and provides a valuable mechanism for the transfer of research results from TFHRC to the scientific and engineering communities.

Detailed information on procedures and all necessary application materials and supporting documents are available at the NRC Research Associateships Program Web site. Click here for the most current list of FHWA opportunities and how to apply.

Eligibility

• Eligibility Criteria: Click here for eligibility criteria for the RAP.
• Citizenship: Research opportunities at FHWA/TFHRC are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and non-U.S. citizens.
• Level: Research opportunities at FHWA/TFHRC are open to Postdoctoral and Senior researcher level applicants. (Click here for a definition of each level.)
• Please note: Eligibility requirements can vary for each research opportunity; be sure to check the specific opportunities in which you are interested.

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