Hi everyone,

I received this in the context of the TRB public involvement committee (where I am also a friend) and thought it might be of interest to T&H as well as pedestrians and bicycles (which I will send to as well under separate email). The deadline is pretty close, and our research subcommittee may already be all over this, so pardon the duplication, but I didn't want us to miss this opportunity.

Best,

Phyllis

FORWARDED EMAIL ABOUT THE STEP PROGRAM REQUEST FOR INPUT:

_____________________________________________________________________________

From: Shepherd, Gloria (FHWA)
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2011 9:14 AM
Subject: ACTION: To Share the Surface Transportation Environment and Planning Cooperative Research Program (STEP) Federal Register Notice – Due November 10

DUE DATE:  November 10 at 4 PM Eastern Time

The purpose of this e-mail is to make you aware of, and to ask you to share with your local partners, the August 12, 2011, Federal Register Notice (Volume 76, Number 156) on the proposed FY 2012 STEP.

The Notice is available at:

Text version:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-12/html/2011-20506.htm

PDF version:  http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-08-12/pdf/2011-20506.pdf

STEP is an FHWA-administered source of funding for research related to planning, environment and realty. The FHWA anticipates that the STEP or a similar program to provide resources for national research on issues related to planning, environment, and realty will be included in future surface transportation legislation.  Stakeholder input is required to identify the research topics that should receive priority consideration.  Therefore, we are seeking input from all of our partners on the FY 2012 STEP.

The FHWA will use STEP to fund research, field demonstrations, technology transfer, conferences, and workshops, as well as portions of various pooled fund research efforts. We anticipate that grants and cooperative agreements will continue to require a 50 percent match and that research contracts will not require a match. The Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty has developed STEP research emphasis areas and has identified contacts for each (see below).  The STEP contacts will continue to work with you and our partners to identify priority research projects for FY 2012.  We invite FHWA staff to forward potential FY 2012 STEP research topics directly to the STEP emphasis area contacts.

Please encourage your State and local partners to review the proposed FY 2012 STEP Implementation Strategy and submit research topics via the STEP Web site at: https://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/STEP.nsf/home/.  Feedback is requested by November 10, 2011.

For further information regarding STEP, you may also contact Patricia Cazenas at Patricia.Cazenas@dot.gov or Deborah R. Johnson at DeborahR.Johnson@dot.gov or Phil Roke at Phil.Roke@dot.gov.