Office of Research, Development & Technology

While many transportation research projects hold the potential to benefit multiple aspects of our transportation system, specific projects authorized by Congress are most commonly tied to one transportation mode. The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R), among its other programmatic duties, is charged by Congress with coordinating research across DOT to ensure that the nation’s taxpayers obtain the best value possible for every investment that DOT makes in transportation research, development and technology (RD&T).

In addition to overseeing Research Coordination across the Department’s many modal administrations and programs, OST-R’s Office of Research, Development and Technology (RDT) manages the following programmatic activities:

• USDOT Research Hub
• Research Grants Management: University Transportation Centers (UTCs)
• Technology Transfer (T2) Program
• Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) and Spectrum Management Program

In addition OST-R's Research Development and Technology (RDT) Office convenes a group called the RD&T Planning Team that brings together the research directors of each of DOT’s modal operating administrations. In addition to representatives of the Office of the Secretary, the members of this group include the research leaders of:

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
• Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
• Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
• Maritime Administration (MARAD)
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
• Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
• Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS)

This cross-disciplinary technical forum at DOT has proven vital to all transportation modes, specifically in delivering resource efficiencies and accelerating sharing and deployment of new technologies. For more than a decade, this active and robust forum has identified opportunities for cross-modal teamwork and cooperation and reinforced the value of continuous interagency work.