University of Maryland Operates the Build America Center

Center advances innovative transportation project financing and delivery in partnership with leading academic institutions

In 2022, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $5 million grant to the University of Maryland (UMD) through a cooperative agreement to establish and manage the Build America Center (BAC), to offer educational programs, information, and resources for transportation agencies in all areas of alternative and innovative project financing and delivery.

The BAC supports the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to foster new approaches to financing development and transformation of the nation’s transportation infrastructure into a modern system. The Build America Bureau works with FHWA, the BAC, project sponsors, and industry leaders regarding innovative solutions and potential Public-Private Partnership (P3).  

The UMD serves as the national lead for this new center contributing a 20 percent match to the grant, with four universities - Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Purdue, and Stanford - serving as regional leads. Through programming, research initiatives and publications, the centers partner with alumni, business leaders and local governments to educate the community and provide students with enrichment experiences that facilitate their professional development.

UMD professor Qingbin Cui, an expert in transportation engineering and highway financing, leads the endeavor, which also leverages UMD resources such as the Maryland Transportation Institute (MTI), the Center for Advanced Transportation Technology (CATT), the Center for Transportation Technology Lab (CATT Lab), and the Project Management Center of Excellence.

To learn more about the Build America Center, visit BAC.umd.edu.

The Build America Institute, established in 2014 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, was sunset.