DOT RITA to award up to $80M for University Transportation Centers
31 July 2011
The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) of the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) plans to competitively select 10 Tier 1 University Transportation Centers (UTCs); two Tier 1 Transit-Focused UTCs; and 10 Regional UTCs to advance US technology and expertise in the many disciplines comprising transportation through the mechanisms of research, education, and technology transfer; and to provide a critical transportation knowledge base outside the US DOT and address workforce needs for the next generation of transportation leaders.
To accomplish this purpose, RITA plans to provide approximately $3.5 million from federal Fiscal Year 2011 funds to each nonprofit institution of higher learning selected through this competition to operate a Center. Estimated total program funding is $80,000,000.
A UTC must be located in the United States or territories. It may be a single university or a consortium of two or more universities. Each Center is required to obtain matching funds from non-federal sources in an amount at least equal to the US DOT grant amount.
The grant may be extended subject to:
- transportation authorization legislation that continues the UTC Program as structured in this solicitation; and
- availability of subsequent-year funds.
America is 14 Trillion dollars in debt, soon to be 17 Trillion in debt with the increase, and we have 10 percent unemployment, and an estimated 20 percent real unemployment....and yet, the federal government has no problem shoveling another $80 million to universities for what? WHAT? "University Transportation Centers"? Insane.
Posted by: ejj | 31 July 2011 at 09:20 AM
Lighten up ejj.
It is not like it is to be spent on nothing.
It will "advance US technology and expertise in the many disciplines comprising transportation through the mechanisms of research, education, and technology transfer; and [to] provide a critical transportation knowledge base outside the US DOT and address workforce needs for the next generation of transportation leaders."
So, that means, um, well, it implies that there will be benefits in, um, supporting students and academia?
OK, so they just waste some more money.
So what, it is only $80 million and it's not their money, it's ours.
Now I finally see the light.
I see why we need to get more tax from the achievers.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 31 July 2011 at 04:45 PM