Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Grants for Research Fellowship: Project - Evaluate and Improve the Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) Algorithm | DTFH6416RA00003

Opportunity Information: Apply for DTFH6416RA00003

The Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Grants for Research Fellowship opportunity is a discretionary grant competition run by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This specific fellowship project focuses on research to evaluate and improve a Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) algorithm, an area tied to connected and automated vehicle operations and how vehicles can coordinate speed and spacing using communications and control logic. The award is structured as a research fellowship grant intended to support an individual graduate student conducting transportation-related research aligned with the project topic.

The opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number DTFH6416RA00003 and CFDA 20.215, with the funding activity category identified as transportation. The eligible applicant type is individuals, meaning the application is intended to come from a qualified person (typically a graduate student) rather than a state agency, local government, or nonprofit organization. FHWA expected to make a single award under this posting, with an award ceiling of up to $60,000, indicating the maximum amount available for the selected fellowship recipient.

The core purpose of the project is to support graduate-level research aimed at assessing the performance of an existing CACC algorithm and developing improvements. While the notice itself does not spell out a detailed statement of work in the provided text, the title signals the research emphasis: measuring how well a CACC approach performs (for example, in terms of stability, safety margins, responsiveness, fuel efficiency, and traffic flow impacts) and then refining the algorithm to address weaknesses identified through analysis, simulation, testing, or other rigorous research methods. Because CACC relies on cooperation between vehicles, the research could reasonably involve topics such as vehicle-to-vehicle communications effects, latency and packet loss impacts on control performance, string stability, mixed traffic interactions with non-equipped vehicles, and robustness under real-world disturbances. The fellowship framing also implies the work is intended to contribute to the transportation profession and to the student’s development as a transportation researcher and future practitioner.

Applicant eligibility is tightly defined and geared toward graduate students on a transportation career path. Applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution, be enrolled in an accredited U.S. institution of higher education, and be pursuing a degree in a full-time program in a transportation-related discipline. In addition, the applicant must have at least one full academic year remaining in their program of study, be actively conducting ongoing research in one or more transportation-related disciplines, and plan to enter the transportation profession after completing their advanced education. Taken together, these requirements emphasize that the fellowship is not meant for someone casually exploring the topic; it is aimed at students already committed to transportation research and likely to continue in the field.

Key administrative details in the notice include the original closing date of April 1, 2016, and a creation date of February 19, 2016. The funding instrument type is a grant, and the opportunity category is discretionary, meaning awards are made competitively based on the agency’s evaluation criteria rather than by formula. Because only one award was expected, the competition would likely have been selective, with proposals needing to clearly demonstrate the applicant’s qualifications, the merit and feasibility of the proposed research on CACC algorithm evaluation and improvement, and alignment with FHWA transportation research priorities.

In practical terms, this opportunity can be understood as a targeted Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship research award: one graduate student would receive up to $60,000 to advance a transportation research project specifically tied to improving Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control algorithms, while also supporting the student’s professional preparation for a career in transportation.

• The DOT Federal Highway Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) Grants for Research Fellowship: Project - Evaluate and Improve the Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) Algorithm" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.215.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-02-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-04-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $60,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Individuals.

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