The U.S. Department of Transportation has announced an open call for proposals for their Ideas and Innovation Challenge. The Challenge seeks research and development innovations that enhance safety, resiliency, efficiency, and technological advancement in transportation. Selected winners will receive cash prizes for their proposals.
Proposals can address one of four focus areas:
- Knowledge: Tools that help infrastructure operators to fully understand their transportation infrastructure systems
- Construction: Approaches for building infrastructure more safely, quickly, cost-effectively, and with greater longevity
- Optimization: Solutions to optimize the movement of people and goods at scale in real time, improving safety, performance, and cost-efficiency, leveraging connectivity and automation
- Enabling and Foundational Technologies: Technologies that lay the groundwork for future transportation innovations
The Challenge has two stages. In Stage 1, participants submit an innovative transportation technology concept paper. Winners from Stage 1 move on to Stage 2, where they can submit a detailed R&D plan and present their project at an event in early 2026.
The submission deadline for the Ideas and Innovation Challenge is September 17, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit here.