§6502 Consolidated Research Database

Summary

Every year, by September 1, the head of each DOT modal administration and joint program office must send the Assistant Secretary a short description of each research project they plan for the next fiscal year, including money requested for new projects and extra money for ongoing ones. The Assistant Secretary must then post, at least once a year, a public online database of all DOT research (including work funded through university transportation centers under section 5505). The database must list each project and say what the research is trying to do, whether it is ongoing or finished, the findings and outcomes (and possible effects on policy or rules), how much money was given, and any other information needed for Department priorities. It must also flag multimodal projects, show how modal administrations are helping or will use the results, point out where more than one administration is studying the same topic, explain how results are shared to improve transportation, and describe public and stakeholder input to the research plans. Each time the President sends a budget request to Congress, the Secretary must publish on a public website and send to Congress a report that shows how much was spent on transportation research and development in the last full fiscal year and how much is proposed in the current budget. For both past and proposed spending, the report must give details for any project funded at $5,000,000 or more. The Secretary must also include in required performance plans and reports a short summary of federal transportation R&D by topic for the previous year, the amount spent in each topic, how well the research meets the expectations in section 6503(c)(1), and any changes to the strategic plan under section 6503.