U.S. DOT seeks innovators for design challenge

• Published date: 07 May 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/fgc.31040
• Date: 07 May 2020

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U.S. DOT seeks innovators

for design challenge

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT)

recently launched Stage I of the Inclusive Design

Challenge, a national prize competition seeking

design solutions to make future automated vehicles

(AVs) more accessible to people with disabilities.

The Inclusive Design Challenge seeks innovative

design solutions that can enable people with

physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities to use

AVs to access jobs, health care and other critical

destinations, the department said.

Solutions may include hardware or software

ideas intended to enable independent use of AVs

by people with disabilities, DOT said, and the

department is encouraging teams to seek input from

the disability community, industry and research

community.

According to the DOT release:

• Stage I requests written proposals describing

the design solution, and up to 10 seminalists will

be selected. Awardees will receive $300,000 each

based on their proof-of-concept ideas.

• Stage II seminalists will compete for a

portion of the remaining prize purse by developing

prototype demonstrations of their concepts.

During two stages of competition, teams will

compete to earn a portion of a $5 million prize.

Teams from academic and research institutions,

the business sector and technology companies are

invited to submit entries.

Finally, as part of the Challenge, DOT is also in-

terested in understanding user needs and industry

dynamics, which are critical to developing designs

with the greatest potential for future impact.

By ensuring that AVs are designed to be inclu-

sive, DOT said it expects the Challenge will help to

enhance future access to critical services for people

with disabilities.

The deadline to submit a proposal is Oct. 30,

2020.

Learn more at https://www.transportation.gov/

accessibility/inclusivedesign. ■

Grants alerts

Parent Training and Information Centers (ED)

Scope: The Education Department’s Office of

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services seeks

applications for the Training and Information for

Parents of Children with Disabilities: Parent Training

and Information Centers announcement.

Deadline: June 22, 2020.

Funds: $21.1 million for up to 65 awards.

Eligibility: Private nonprot organizations.

Areas: ED said Center activities should provide

objective information, resources and impartial training

that support parents and youth in working in partnership

with professionals to establish and meet high

expectations for children and youth with disabilities.

➜www.grants.gov; FON# ED-GRANTS-042120-001

Parent Information and Training Program (ED)

Scope: The Education Department’s Office of

Special Education and Rehabilitative Services seeks

applications for the Parent Information and Training

Program announcement to support projects that

provide impartial training and objective information

to enable individuals with disabilities, and the

parents, family members, guardians, advocates, or

other authorized representatives of the individuals

to participate more effectively with professionals

in meeting the vocational, independent living, and

rehabilitation needs of individuals with disabilities.

Deadline: June 22, 2020.

Funds: $2.4 million total for up to eight awards.

Eligibility: Private nonprot organizations.

Areas: ED said the program is designed to meet

the unique training and information needs of those

individuals who live in the area to be served,

particularly those who are members of populations

that have been unserved or underserved by programs

under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended

(Rehabilitation Act).

➜www.grants.gov; FON# ED-GRANTS-042120-002

Vol. 44, No. 11 May 7, 2020

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