§ 509. National cooperative freight transportation research program
(a)
Establishment.—
The Secretary shall establish and support a national cooperative freight transportation research program.
(b)
Agreement.—
The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to support and carry out administrative and management activities relating to the governance of the national cooperative freight transportation research program.
(c)
Advisory Committee.—
The National Academy of Sciences shall select an advisory committee consisting of a representative cross-section of freight stakeholders, including the Department of Transportation, other Federal agencies, State transportation departments, local governments, nonprofit entities, academia, and the private sector.
(d)
Governance.—
The national cooperative freight transportation research program established under this section shall include the following administrative and management elements:
(1)
National research agenda.—
The advisory committee, in consultation with interested parties, shall recommend a national research agenda for the program. The agenda shall include a multiyear strategic plan.
(3)
Open competition and peer review of research proposals.—
The National Academy of Sciences may award research contracts and grants under the program through open competition and merit review conducted on a regular basis.
(4)
Evaluation of research.—
(5)
Dissemination of research findings.—
The National Academy of Sciences shall disseminate research findings to researchers, practitioners, and decisionmakers, through conferences and seminars, field demonstrations, workshops, training programs, presentations, testimony to government officials, the World Wide Web, publications for the general public, and other appropriate means.
(e)
Contents.—
The national research agenda required under subsection (d)(1) shall include research in the following areas:
(1)
Techniques for estimating and quantifying public benefits derived from freight transportation projects.
(2)
Alternative approaches to calculating the contribution of truck and rail traffic to congestion on specific highway segments.
(4)
Methods for incorporating estimates of international trade into landside transportation planning.
(5)
The use of technology applications to increase capacity of highway lanes dedicated to truck-only traffic.
(f)
Funding.—
(1)
Federal share.—
The Federal share of the cost of an activity carried out under this section shall be up to 100 percent.
(2)
Use of non-federal funds.—
In addition to using funds authorized for this section, the National Academy of Sciences may seek and accept additional funding sources from public and private entities capable of accepting funding from the Department of Transportation, States, local governments, nonprofit foundations, and the private sector.