Transportation institute exceeds record milestone; looks to the future
Externally sponsored awards at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) topped $50 million in just over a year, setting a record for the institute, and allowing VTTI to lead further advancements in roadway safety and technology research.
“This has been a tough fiscal year for us, given COVID-19 and its impact on our ability to conduct research that is largely based on human interactions,” said institute director Tom Dingus. “But now, not only are we safely resuming operations to lead critical transportation research efforts, we are seeing award numbers surpass those of previous years. It is a testament to the extraordinary talent, hard work, and determination of our team of researchers.”
VTTI received several large-scale grants and contracts from public- and private-sector partners over the course of this fiscal year. Major research advancements for fiscal year 2020 include:
$15 million U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Automated Driving System Demonstration Grants
VTTI received two $7.5 million grants from the USDOT to advance automated driving system research. The Automated Driving System Demonstration Grants program provides federal funding to projects that test methods for safely incorporating automated driving systems on U.S. roads. Of the 73 proposals submitted by agencies nationwide, VTTI was the only organization to receive two awards, which will support the following projects:
Trucking Fleet CONOPS for Managing Mixed Fleets
Safely Operating ADS in Challenging Dynamic Scenarios: An Optimized Automated Driving Corridor Demonstration
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