§520 Transportation Resilience and Adaptation Centers of Excellence

Summary

Creates ten regional Centers of Excellence and one national Center of Excellence to help surface transportation and the systems that rely on it better withstand natural disasters and extreme weather. The Secretary must pick one regional center for each of the 10 Federal regions defined by the Office of Management and Budget (April 1974, circular A‑105). The national center will coordinate the regional centers to reduce overlap and share research. Eligible applicants are colleges or consortia of nonprofits led by a college. Applicants must apply to the Secretary with a proposed plan. In choosing centers, the Secretary will consider past work, the strength of the proposal (including support for the PROTECT program under section 176), coordination with other federal efforts, how the work will help decision‑making, engagement with many stakeholders (including underserved and Tribal communities), and the proposal’s likely impacts. If Congress provides the money, each center must receive at least $5,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2022 through 2031. Grant funds must be used to make transportation infrastructure more resilient. Work can include climate vulnerability studies, new design and maintenance standards, research on materials and technology, testing resilience strategies (including natural approaches and relocation), improving public and community engagement, building technical capacity and workforce training, producing data and tools, education and outreach, and moving technologies into use. The Federal government will cover up to 50 percent of the cost of these activities, including setting up and running the centers.