Opportunity Information: Apply for FR RRD 13 001
Apply for FR RRD 13 001
- The DOT/Federal Railroad Administration in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluation of Wheel/Rail Contact Mechanics (Phase II)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.313 Railroad Research and Development.
- This funding opportunity was created on Dec 5, 2012 and posted on Dec 5, 2012.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Dec 28, 2012 No Explanation. (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 $410,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Only Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University may apply to this grant.
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Opportunity Summary:
The Evaluation of Wheel/Rail Contact Mechanics (Phase II) grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FR RRD 13 001) was a discretionary research and development grant issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), under CFDA 20.313 Railroad Research and Development. Posted on December 5, 2012, it was open for applications until December 28, 2012, with an archive date of January 27, 2013. The program did not require any cost sharing or matching funds, and it set an award ceiling of $410,000 (with no stated award floor).
The purpose of the Phase II effort was to move from Phase I findings into a practical experimental capability by designing and fabricating a scaled roller rig. In rail engineering, a roller rig is a controlled test platform that reproduces key aspects of wheel-on-rail interaction in a laboratory setting. By using a scaled model, researchers can create repeatable wheel/rail contact conditions, systematically vary parameters, and gather measurements that are difficult, expensive, or risky to obtain in full-scale field testing. The core deliverable implied by the announcement is the completed, functioning scaled roller rig, along with the ability to measure the specific physical parameters needed to support and improve wheel/rail modeling.
The technical emphasis is on wheel/rail contact mechanics, meaning the forces, stresses, motions, and frictional behaviors that occur where a train wheel meets the rail. This contact region governs many important real-world outcomes, including wear, rolling contact fatigue, traction and braking performance, curving behavior, noise and vibration, and ultimately safety and maintenance cost. The announcement highlights that the roller rig will provide a means for measuring parameters needed for wheel/rail modeling, which typically points to collecting data such as normal and tangential forces at the contact patch, creep forces and creepage relationships, friction characteristics under different contamination or lubrication states, contact geometry effects, and other inputs required to calibrate or validate predictive computational models used by the railroad industry and regulators.
Eligibility for this opportunity was highly restricted: only Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) could apply. While the general eligible applicant category is shown as "Others," the formal eligibility statement makes it a single-institution competition. The funding instrument type was a grant, and the activity category was Science and Technology and other Research and Development, aligning it with applied research intended to produce tangible testing capability and data useful to FRA-supported wheel/rail analysis and modeling efforts.
Administrative support for accessing the full announcement was routed through GrantSolutions, with contact options provided via the GrantSolutions Help Desk (help@grantsolutions.gov and listed phone numbers) during standard weekday business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Evaluation of Wheel/Rail Contact Mechanics (Phase II)
What is the name of this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is titled Evaluation of Wheel/Rail Contact Mechanics (Phase II).
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FR RRD 13 001.
Which federal agency offered this grant?
This was a discretionary research and development grant issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity is under CFDA 20.313, Railroad Research and Development.
What type of funding instrument was used?
The funding instrument type was a grant.
What is the activity/category for this grant?
The activity category is Science and Technology and other Research and Development.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on December 5, 2012.
What was the application deadline?
Applications were accepted until December 28, 2012.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was January 27, 2013.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The program did not require any cost sharing or matching funds.
What was the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $410,000.
Was there a minimum award amount (award floor)?
No minimum award amount was stated; the opportunity listed no stated award floor.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was highly restricted. Only Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) could apply.
Was this an open competition to multiple institutions?
No. Although the general eligible applicant category is shown as "Others," the formal eligibility statement indicates a single-institution competition limited to Virginia Tech.
What was the main purpose of the Phase II effort?
The purpose of Phase II was to move from Phase I findings into a practical experimental capability by designing and fabricating a scaled roller rig.
What is a roller rig in the context of rail engineering?
A roller rig is a controlled laboratory test platform designed to reproduce key aspects of wheel-on-rail interaction under repeatable conditions.
Why does the opportunity emphasize a "scaled" roller rig?
Using a scaled model allows researchers to create repeatable wheel/rail contact conditions, systematically vary parameters, and collect measurements that may be difficult, expensive, or risky to obtain through full-scale field testing.
What deliverable was implied as the core outcome of the grant?
The core deliverable implied by the announcement is a completed, functioning scaled roller rig with the ability to measure specific physical parameters needed to support and improve wheel/rail modeling.
What technical area does "wheel/rail contact mechanics" refer to?
Wheel/rail contact mechanics refers to the forces, stresses, motions, and frictional behaviors that occur at the contact region where a train wheel meets the rail.
Why is wheel/rail contact mechanics important?
This contact region influences major real-world outcomes, including wear, rolling contact fatigue, traction and braking performance, curving behavior, noise and vibration, and ultimately safety and maintenance cost.
What kinds of measurements or parameters was the roller rig expected to support?
The announcement notes that the roller rig would measure parameters needed for wheel/rail modeling. Examples of typical parameters called out include: normal and tangential forces at the contact patch, creep forces and creepage relationships, friction characteristics under different contamination or lubrication states, and contact geometry effects, among other inputs used to calibrate or validate predictive computational models.
What is the intended use of the data produced by the scaled roller rig?
The data is intended to support and improve wheel/rail analysis and modeling efforts used by the railroad industry and regulators, including data used to calibrate or validate predictive computational models.
How could applicants access the full announcement or get administrative help?
Administrative support for accessing the full announcement was routed through GrantSolutions.
How could someone contact GrantSolutions for help?
Contact options were provided via the GrantSolutions Help Desk at help@grantsolutions.gov and listed phone numbers, available during standard weekday business hours.
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