Research Initiatives in Support of FHWA Next Generation Structural Materials and Systems

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Infrastructure Research and Development (HRDI) Bridge Engineering Research Team is announcing its intent to solicit white papers and proposals under this Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). This BAA is developed in accordance with FAR 6.102(d)(2) and FAR 35.016. This BAA involves the use of a 5-year Open BAA to quickly and efficiently execute research and development to deliver practical solutions to high priority problems.

This strategy will provide FHWA an acquisition tool with the flexibility to solicit white papers and proposals and make awards that meet present and compelling needs. White papers and proposals will only be solicited and accepted during individual calls. Calls for white papers and proposals will occur periodically throughout the life of the BAA.

Each call will identify:

1. specific topic areas;
2. any changes to the standard evaluation criteria or white paper and/or proposal preparation instructions, and;
3. cutoff dates for submissions.

The FHWA HRDI Bridge Engineering Research Team conducts and directs research efforts in support of the development of testing standards, structural design and construction specifications, and acceptance criteria. The FHWA HRDI Bridge Engineering Research Team leads the development and advancement of next generation structural materials and systems, and provides leadership in the development of standards, specifications, and acceptance criteria to enable their deployment. The work conducted generally enables the advancement of state-of-the-art solutions and positions HRDI as a leader in the deployment of such technologies to maintain or improve the safety, durability, sustainability, and resilience of the Nation's bridges and highway structures.

The primary purpose of this BAA is to solicit a variety of solutions that will support the strategic objectives of the FHWA Bridge Engineering Research Team program areas: Structural Steel, Structural Concrete, Geotechnical Structures, and Bridge Hydraulics. Projects shall develop next generation technologies and solutions that address FHWA's current strategic goals and objectives of Safety, Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness, Equity, Climate and Sustainability, Transformation, and Organizational Excellence.