AASHTO STANDING COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS

NCHRP Problem Statement Outline

I. PROBLEM NUMBER

To be assigned by NCHRP staff.

II. PROBLEM TITLE

Provide a suggested title, in as few words as possible.

III. RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT

A description of the problem or need—one or more paragraphs explaining the reason for research. Be explicit about how the intended research product will be used and by whom.

Special note to AASHTO Committees and Subcommittees: Please indicate the relationship between the suggested problem and the committee’s strategic plan and/or its overall research agenda.

Advice to State Departments of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration: Submitters are encouraged, but not required, to vet or submit problem statements through an appropriate AASHTO committee or subcommittee.

IV. LITERATURE SEARCH SUMMARY

To avoid duplication with other current or past research, the problem submitter must provide a summary of the results of a literature search. At a minimum, searches should be conducted on TRID (http://trid.trb.org), which includes the Research in Progress database (http://rip.trb.org/). Please describe how your proposed research differs from, and will build upon, the existing body of research found in the literature review. An excellent resource on conducting literature searches is Transportation Research Circular E-C194, “Literature Searches and Literature Reviews for Transportation Research Projects,” available at http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/172271.aspx. If you are not comfortable conducting the search yourself, you can contact your local transportation library or the TRB Library (202/334- 2990 or [email protected]) and ask them to conduct the search for you. If no search is performed, please justify why it was not needed.

V. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Provide a succinct statement of the desired research outcomes and expected final products (e.g. guidelines, software, test method, equipment, methodology, specifications, manual, or process). A description of proposed tasks is not required, but the anticipated scope and breadth of the research should be described in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the objective can be achieved and that the estimated funding is justified. Also consider including supplementary activities that will help facilitate implementation of the research products, such as brochures, summaries, presentations, workshops, or peer exchanges aimed at specific target audiences.

Page 1 of 3 VI. ESTIMATE OF PROBLEM FUNDING AND RESEARCH PERIOD

Recommended Funding:

Submitters should provide an estimate of funds necessary to accomplish the stated objectives and some initial implementation facilitation activities. Adequate funding level depends on the hourly rates of the PI and research team members and the proposed research methodology. Costs must also include other estimated expenses required for the research such as purchase of materials, extensive physical testing, or computer modelling. Beyond the research itself, it can be valuable to provide funding for implementation activities beyond the completion of the work. Submitters are encouraged to submit budgets that are adequate for the proposed topic. Underfunded research is much less likely to produce implementable products.

As a general guideline, the present cost for research usually averages about $200,000 for 100 percent of a professional employee’s time per year. This figure represents a fully loaded, professional rate that would include an individual’s direct salary and benefits and an agency’s overhead or indirect costs. Average rates for supporting staff might be approximately one-half those of professionals.

(Note: The level of funded provided may be raised or lowered by the AASHTO Standing Committee on Research if and when the problem statement is selected)

Research Period:

An estimate of the number of months of research effort, including three months for review and revision of a draft final report, and one month for review and revision of each interim report.

(Note: This estimate may be changed by the Project Panel.)

VII. URGENCY AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS

The AASHTO Standing Committee on Research – NCHRP’s governing body – will select projects based on two key factors: the potential value of the research results and the likelihood of implementation-ready products. This section should describe the anticipated product and the potential benefits if the research is completed successfully and the products deployed. It should also discuss the potential negative impacts if this problem statement is not funded.

VIII. IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING

In order to maximize timely deployment of the research results, problem statement submitters should identify (a) the appropriate target audience for the research findings and products, (b) key decision-makers who can approve, influence, or champion implementation of the research products, and (c) AASHTO committees and other individuals and organizations with likely responsibility for adoption of the results, and (d) “early adopters” – state DOTs that would be willing to evaluate the research products in their agency. Any institutional or political barriers to implementation of the anticipated research products should also be identified.

IX. PERSON(S) DEVELOPING THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

Provide name, title, organization, telephone number, and email address.

X. AASHTO MONITOR

Page 2 of 3 For each project selected for the NCHRP, an AASHTO Monitor will be assigned to help ensure that the research meets the needs of state DOTs and to facilitate implementation of the results. The AASHTO Monitor should be an employee of a state DOT, and typically will have been one of the authors of the problem statement. The AASHTO Monitor will be assigned by staff, but if you wish to nominate an individual for this role, please provide their specifics (name, title, affiliation, address, telephone number, e-mail address).

XI. SUBMITTED BY

Contact information for individuals submitting or supporting this problem statement.

Please submit completed problem statement at: http://bit.ly/NCHRP2018Submittal

Questions on the process can be directed to [email protected].

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