The National Center for Sustainable Transportation awards research funding for applied research projects, white paper grants, seed grants, translational grants, graduate-led research projects, and dissertation grants through competitive Calls or Requests for Proposals (CFPs or RFPs). Find out more information about each of these funding opportunities below:
Faculty Funding Opportunities Student Funding Opportunities
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR FACULTY & PROFESSIONAL RESEARCHERS
USDOT-Funded Research Grants
The NCST issues its RFP for USDOT-funded research projects, white papers, translational projects, and seed grants typically in February of each year. Awards are usually announced in July, with awarded projects expected to start with the Fall quarter/semester, generally with one-year project terms. Individual awards range from $30,000 to $140,000 in total costs, and vary by campus and grant type. Priority is given to proposals with a national scope within the NCST research areas of Vehicle Technology, Infrastructure Provision, and Travel Demand.
Call for Proposals
The NCST is currently accepting proposals for 2024-25 USDOT-funded applied research projects, seed grants, white papers, and translational projects. This RFP will allocate approximately $1.75 million in USDOT funding to support research across the NCST. The RFP is open to applicants at University of California, Davis; University of Southern California; University of California, Riverside; Texas Southern University; and the University of Vermont.
Deadline: March 27, 2024, 5:00 PDT.
The RFP, all associated information and documents, and application can be found at the link below.
Caltrans-Funded Research Grants
The NCST issues its RFP for Caltrans-funded research projects, white papers, translational projects, and seed grants typically in February of each year, and the RFP is generally open for approximately one month. Awards are typically announced in July, with awarded projects expected to start no earlier than the Fall quarter/semester, generally with one-year terms. Individual awards range from $30,000 to $140,000 in total costs. Priority is given to proposals with a California scope and that inform or help implement Caltrans' goals and activities, within the NCST research areas of Vehicle Technology, Infrastructure Provision, and Travel Demand.
Call for Proposals
The NCST is currently accepting proposals for 2024-25 Caltrans-funded applied research projects, seed grants, white papers, and translational projects. This RFP will allocate approximately $1.7 million in Caltrans funding to support research for the NCST's California partners. The RFP is open to applicants at University of California, Long Beach, University of California, Davis; University of Southern California; and University of California, Riverside.
Deadline: March 27, 2024, 5:00 PDT.
The RFP, all associated information and documents, and application can be found at the link below.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS
Dissertation Research Grants
The NCST offers dissertation research grants for current doctoral students who have advanced to candidacy. Dissertation proposals must relate to the NCST's mission of moving the nation towards a more sustainable transportation system from the standpoint of infrastructure and systems operation, vehicles and fuels, travel demand, and institutional change. Doctoral research may be in any discipline, and multidisciplinary topics are encouraged when appropriate.
Call for Proposals
CFPs are released each spring and fall. As stated above, students in any program are eligible, so long as their dissertation is in the area of sustainable transportation. The application requires a letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation chair, and applicants must have passed their qualifying exam prior to the application deadline.
UC Davis is not currently accepting applications for dissertation grants. For reference, the Fall 2023 UC Davis Dissertation Grant Call for Proposals is linked below. The next CFP will be issued in March 2024.
View the Fall 2023 Dissertation Grant CFP
Graduate Student Exchange
The NCST offers a graduate student exchange program in which graduate students work with faculty at the consortium universities to nominate students to travel to one of our partner universities to work with colleagues and collaborators.
[Exchange policy currently in development]
Undergraduate Research Fellowships
The NCST offers a research fellowship program for UC Davis undergraduates interested in continuing their studies over the summer by conducting research in one of the following areas: environmentally responsible infrastructure and operations, multi-modal travel and sustainable land use, zero-emission vehicle and fuel technologies, and institutional change. The objective is to introduce a select group of undergraduate students to the transportation field through participation in our extensive research program. The fellowship will support students over the summer to participate in ongoing research projects with faculty and graduate students.
Learn about the work of previous NCST fellowship recipients
Call for Applications
The 2023 call for applications is now closed. The NCST plans to issue the next call for applications during the Spring 2024 quarter.
Click the link below to view the 2023 Undergraduate Research Fellowship information to view additional program details, eligibility requirements, etc., for the 2023 call.