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U.S. Department of Transportation's Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) until Nov. 21 at 4 p.m. (EST) will accept from interested parties technical or white papers that outline ongoing projects — funded by state and/or local governments, academic institutions or the private sector — designed to improve transportation security or reduce the industry's vulnerability to accidental or intentional disruption.


RSPA officials aim to more expeditiously promote the implementation of promising safety technologies and concepts.


Previously due Oct. 25, the proposals should address transportation infrastructure and vehicles associated with rail, pipelines, ports, waterways, aviation, mass transit, highways and combinations of modes, as well as information technology associated with a mode's operation and control.


RSPA's area of interests include: assessing risk and vulnerability; planning for transportation-related contingencies; developing innovative approaches to threat detection and evaluation; reducing vulnerabilities from critical infrastructure interdependencies; using "smart technologies" to establish or ensure the integrity of transportation infrastructure; developing approaches to improve information infrastructure's robustness in controlling transportation operations; recommending advanced materials and structures that could reduce the blast-effects vulnerability of transportation vehicles or facilities; and relaying any other techniques or approaches to ensure secure and safe transportation operations.


After RSPA receives the technical papers, it plans to create an evaluation panel to review all submissions, then request more detailed information from those submissions deemed the most innovative.


For more information, visit RSPA's Web site, www.rspa.dot.gov, and click on "Procurement Opportunities."