NFSP report: Will new objectives influence funding?

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.31286
• Published date: 17 September 2020
• Date: 17 September 2020

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NFSP report: Will new

objectives inuence funding?

U.S. Secretary of Transportation (DOT) Elaine L.

Chao recently announced the release of the rst-

ever National Freight Strategic Plan (NFSP). It is

the latest effort by the department and the Trump

Administration to strengthen America’s economic

competitiveness, and denes a vision for long-term

investments in infrastructure, the workforce,

and other essential parts of the freight system.

Additionally, the NFSP lays out a plan to prepare

for the future by supporting the development of

data, technologies, and workforce capabilities that

improve freight system performance.

“The Department is unveiling the rst-ever

National Freight Strategic Plan so that the U.S.

can maintain our competitive edge across major

industries like agriculture, manufacturing, energy

production and E-commerce,” said U.S. Transporta-

tion Secretary Elaine L. Chao in a statement.

Every day, America’s transportation network

moves more than 51 million tons of freight and

energy products valued at nearly $52 billion via

highways, railways, ports and inland waterways,

pipelines, and airports, DOT said.

The growth in freight demand due to increasing

use of e-commerce and global supply chains in recent

years has strained the U.S. freight system and

could threaten the competitive advantage of Amer-

ican businesses, the department said. As these sup-

ply chains continue to spread across the world, DOT

said America’s ability to compete could be limited by

inadequate infrastructure and a lack of preparation

for incorporating innovative technologies.

The NFSP provides a clear path to improve

the safety, security, and resilience of the national

freight system, the department said. It also details

how the U.S. can modernize freight infrastructure

and operations to grow the economy and increase

competitiveness.

How this plan specically will affect funding

remains to be seen.

To learn more about the NFSP, visit

transportation.gov/freight/NFSP. To see DOT

funding opportunities, see page 4.

Grants alerts

National Articial Intelligence Research

Institutes (NSF)

Scope: The National Science Foundation seeks

applications for the National Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Research Institutes announcement, a joint government

effort between the National Science Foundation,

U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of

Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Homeland

Security Science & Technology Directorate and U.S.

Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway

Administration.

Deadline: Dec. 4, 2020.

Funds: $160 million total for awards of up to $20

million.

Eligibility: Colleges and universities and nonprofit

organizations.

Areas: NSF said proposals are sought with a principal

focus in one or more of the following themes: Theme 1:

Human-AI Interaction and Collaboration, Theme 2: AI

Institute for Advances in Optimization, Theme 3: AI and

Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Theme 4: Advances in

AI and Computer and Network Systems, Theme 5: AI

Institute in Dynamic Systems, Theme 6: AI-Augmented

Learning, Theme 7: AI to Advance Biology and Theme

8: AI-Driven Innovation in Agriculture and the Food

System.

➜ www.grants.gov; FON# 20-604

Advancing Informal STEM Learning (NSF)

Scope: The National Science Foundation seeks

applications for the Advancing Informal STEM

Learning announcement to advance new approaches

to and evidence-based understanding of the design

and development of science, technology, engineering

and mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities for

the public in informal environments; provide multiple

pathways for broadening access to and engagement

in STEM learning experiences; advance innovative

research on and assessment of STEM learning in

informal environments; and engage the public of all

ages in learning STEM in informal environments.

Vol. 44, No. 20 September 17, 2020

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