The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) plays a key leadership role in sponsoring, sustaining, and guiding highway research. As a leader in the transportation research and technology (R&T) field, FHWA is working to improve its R&T program and to deploy innovations and technologies.

Managers and staff at the FHWA are responsible for R&T, particularly in functional areas that develop and set the R&T Agenda for that subject, focus, or program area. These functional areas reflect FHWA's mission, support strategic goals, and engage internal and external stakeholders.

Core Highway Programs and Topics

Cross-Topic Areas 

• Big Data
• Connected Vehicle Research Program
• Data Security
• National Security

Environment, Planning, and Real Estate

• Accelerating Project Delivery/Environmental Process
• Air Quality Analytical tools and methods/Mobile Source Ari Toxics (MSAT)
• Alternative Fuel Corridors/Electric Vehicles
• Bicycle and Pedestrian/Multimodal
• CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality)
• Conformity
• Connected/Autonomous Vehicles
• Context Sensitive Solutions/Livability
• Community Impacts (Public Involvement/Health/Environmental Justice/Civil Rights)
• Economic Development
• Fiscal Constraint and Financial Planning
• Freight Planning
• International and Border Planning
• Metropolitan Transportation Planning
• National Economic Networks
• National Highway System
• Noise
• Outdoor Advertising and Junkyard Control Programs
• Performance Based Planning and Programming
• Realty
• Resiliency and Adaptation
• Safety Planning
• Scenario Planning and Visualization
• Statewide/Non-Metropolitan (rural) Transportation Planning
• Sustainability
• Travel Model Improvement Program
• Tribal Lands
• Federal Lands

Exploratory Advanced Research

• General Exploratory Advanced Research
• Connected Highway and Vehicle System Concepts
• Breakthrough Concepts in Material Science
• Human Behavior and Travel Choices
• Technology for Assessing Performance
• New Technology and Advanced Policies for Energy and Resource Conservation

Federal and Indian Lands

• Indian Reservation Roads / Bridges
• Park Roads and Parkways
• Public Lands Highways
• Forest Highways
• Refuge Roads
• Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads
• Defense Access Roads
• Transportation Planning

Infrastructure

• Construction and Project Management
• Asset Management
• Design
• Geotechnical
• Hydraulics
• Long-Term Infrastructure Performance
  • Long-Term Pavement Performance
  • Long-Term Bridge Performance
• Major Projects
• National Highway System
• Pavement and Materials
• Security
• Structures
  • Foundation Characterization Program (FCP)
  • Geotechnology Research Program
  • Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC)
• Transportation Performance Management

Innovative Program Delivery

• Economic Recovery
• Federal-aid and Financing
• Federal and Indian Lands Funding
• Innovative Finance Program
• Public-Private Partnerships
• Status of the Highway Trust Fund
• Tolling and Pricing Program
• Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA)

Intelligent Transportation Systems

Operations

• Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative
• Automated Vehicles
  • Cooperative Automated Vehicles
  • Cooperative Automation Research Mobility Applications (CARMA)
  • Integrating Advanced Technologies to Actively Manage Traffic
  • Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation
  • Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory
• Connected Vehicle Research
  • Vehicle to Infrastructure
• Transportation Systems Management and Operations
  • Emergency Response
  • National Traffic and Road Closure Information
  • Real-Time Traveler Information
  • Speed Management
  • Transportation Management
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
• Security
• Tolling and Pricing Program
• Freight/Goods Movement

 Policy

• Highway Data/System Performance
• Laws, Regulations, Policy and Directives
• National Household Travel Survey

Research Infrastructure, Technology Transfer, and Partnerships

• Research Infrastructure
• Technology Transfer
• Partnerships
  • Coordination and outreach to State and local partners
  • Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) 
  • International partnerships and cooperation
  • National Cooperative Highway Research Program
  • Transportation Pooled Fund Program
  • Transportation Research Board Core Services
  • State Planning and Research Program

Safety

• Safety Design and Operations
  • Intersections
  • Roadway Departure
  • Pedestrian / Bicycle
  • Local and Rural Roads
• Safety Program Delivery
  • Highway Safety Improvement Program
  • Roadway Safety Capacity Building Program
• Human Factors Analytics
  • Human Factors
  • Traffic Control Device Pooled Fund
• Safety Data and Analysis
  • Data and Analysis
  • Motorcycle Crash Causation Study
  • Interactive Highway Safety Design Model
  • Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM)
  • Naturalistic Driving Study Pooled Fund

    External Links icon

  • Evaluation of Low Cost Safety Improvements Pooled Fund Study
  • Highway Safety Information System
  • Safety Training and Analysis Center

Small Business Innovation Research