FTA Broad Agency Announcement (FY26) -- “Research Initiatives in Support of Safety, Accessibility, and Mobility in Public Transportation
This BAA funds applied research projects that improve the safety, reliability, efficiency, accessibility, or domestic manufacturing readiness of U.S. public transportation, open to responsible non-federal sources.
⚑ Federal contract/BAA submission; any responsible source may apply except Federal Government-owned businesses · Concept paper required under the solicitation process · Typical award size $150,000-$500,000 · Cost sharing and transit operator partnerships are preferred but not always mandatory
This is primarily a transportation engineering/applied transit technology BAA, with emphasis on safety, accessibility, manufacturing, and TRL 3-6 technical development. IPPRA’s core strength is social-behavioral research on risk perception, policy, warnings, energy, and education—not transit systems or transportation engineering—so this would not be a plausible PI-level pursuit for the team.
JUDGED AGAINST THE ROSTER'S PUBLICATION DOSSIER · GPT-5.4-MINI · 2026-09-05
Unit fits — one characterization, each unit's own rules
| Physical Sciences & Engineering (demo) | 90 strong | technical depth: central; funds applied research |
| IPPRA | 58 good | peripheral portfolio topic: emergency_disaster_resilience; social/behavioral work is minor; funds applied research |
| Tom Love Innovation Hub | 45 partial | funds applied research; prototyping/demonstration stage; deep-tech content |
Description
This Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) solicits applied research projects to improve the safety, reliability, efficiency, and accessibility of public transportation in the United States. Purpose: To solicit innovative applied research that reduces deployment risks, improves safety, lowers costs, and facilitates domestic transit manufacturing. Eligibility: This is an unrestricted solicitation; any responsible source (excluding Federal Government-owned businesses) may submit a concept paper. Teaming and collaboration are encouraged. Funding: Individual awards typically range between $150,000 and $500,000, subject to fund availability. While cost sharing is not always mandatory, projects including transit operator partnerships and cost sharing are preferred. Technology Readiness: Projects should focus on technology readiness levels (TRL) 3 through 6, with a preference for proof-of-concept testing (TRL 3).
Eligibility
Applicant restrictions (federal contract). Set-aside: No Set aside used. Notice type: Combined Synopsis/Solicitation. Organization: TRANSPORTATION, DEPARTMENT OF / FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION / 693195 OFFICE OF ACQUISITION MGT.
Apply
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.