FY26 Bus Safety, Accessibility, and Innovation Notice of Funding Opportunity
Competitive cooperative agreements fund up to two projects to develop and prototype bus safety, accessibility, and innovation concepts for safer, more accessible buses and bus operations, and only transit vehicle manufacturers or transit vehicle component manufacturers may lead.
⚑ Eligible lead applicants are limited to transit vehicle manufacturers and transit vehicle component manufacturers. · Up to two projects will be funded competitively. · Cooperative agreement instrument. · Assistance Listing 20.530 / FTA Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. 5312).
This is primarily a transportation engineering/safety innovation program focused on bus design, prototyping, and accessibility technology. IPPRA’s work is social-behavioral survey, risk perception, warning communication, and policy evaluation, so this is largely outside the team’s research line rather than a plausible PI-led opportunity.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-07-30
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 75 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 50 partial | peripheral portfolio topic: public_health; social/behavioral work is minor; funds applied research; university can only partner, not lead |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the opportunity to apply for competitive awards totaling up to $10 million in Public Transportation Innovation Program (49 U.S.C. 5312) funds for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Bus Safety, Accessibility, and Innovation Research Program under Assistance Listing Number 20.530. As required by Federal public transportation law, funds will be awarded competitively to up to two projects to develop and prototype innovative and widely deployable concepts that are intended to make existing and new buses safer for their operators and vulnerable road users, and safer and more accessible for their passengers.
Eligibility
Eligible lead applicants include: Transit vehicle manufacturers and Transit vehicle component manufacturers.
Apply
View on Grants.gov → CONTACT: Johnita S Glover Transportation Program Analyst <marcel.belanger@dot.gov>
Proposal brief SEE AN EXAMPLE →
A one-page internal memo: fit assessment, submission requirements, document scaffold, and next steps dated back from the deadline — tailored to your project idea if you add one.
Proposal shell · Federal (generic) conventions SEE A FEDERAL EXAMPLE →
Funder-faithful document skeletons — Federal (generic)'s document set with section headings, page limits, reviewer guidance, and writing prompts; add a project idea to get [DRAFT] starter bullets. Download as .md for Word or Overleaf.