Opportunity Information: Apply for FR RRD 13 007
Apply for FR RRD 13 007
- The DOT/Federal Railroad Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY13 RAIL DEFECT DETECTION PROTOTYPE IMPROVEMENTS AIR COUPLED SOLUTION FINAL PHASE" 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 May 31, 2013 and posted on May 31, 2013.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 14, 2013 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 $350,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Only the The Regents of the University of California University of California, San Diego is eligible to apply for this grant.
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Opportunity Summary:
The FY13 Rail Defect Detection Prototype Improvements Air Coupled Solution (Final Phase) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number FR RRD 13 007) was a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), under the Railroad Research and Development program (CFDA 20.313). Posted on May 31, 2013, it had an application deadline of June 14, 2013, and an archive date of July 14, 2013. The award had a ceiling of $350,000, no stated minimum award amount, and did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
This grant amendment focused on advancing a non-contact rail inspection system originally developed by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) through earlier FRA research and development grants (DTFR53 02 G 00011 and FR RRD 0001 10 01 00). The central goal was to improve and refine that existing prototype so it would be more practical for real-world railroad inspection environments, aligning with industry feedback about usability and hardware cost.
The technical thrust of the work was a shift to a fully air-coupled ultrasonic approach for rail defect detection. In practical terms, the earlier system used a combination of laser-based ultrasound generation and air-coupled sensing, while this final-phase effort aimed to use air-coupled transducers for both generating and receiving ultrasonic guided waves in the rail. Guided waves can travel along the rail and interact with discontinuities, making them useful for locating internal flaws. Moving to an all air-coupled transduction method was intended to preserve or improve detection performance while simplifying the system and making it faster and cheaper to deploy.
A second major objective was integrating capabilities that are often treated separately: internal defect detection and rail surface characterization. The project aimed to evaluate whether these two functions could be combined effectively within a single prototype inspection platform. That combination matters because rail integrity issues are not limited to internal cracks or inclusions; surface conditions such as wear, corrugation, or other surface features can also affect safety and maintenance planning. Building a system that can assess both internal and surface-related conditions in one pass could streamline inspection workflows and improve the overall diagnostic value of inspections.
From an operational standpoint, the FRA emphasized that an air-coupled non-contact system could improve inspection speed and ease of operation compared with the earlier laser/air-coupled setup. The expected benefits were threefold: maintaining the improved defect detection accuracy already demonstrated in prior work, increasing inspection speed (important for covering more track with less downtime), and reducing equipment complexity and cost (key factors for adoption by rail operators). The opportunity was explicitly framed as responsive to industry input that previous hardware choices, particularly laser-based components, could be costly or less practical for widespread field use.
Eligibility for this grant was narrowly restricted: only The Regents of the University of California, University of California, San Diego were eligible to apply, indicating this was effectively a continuation or amendment supporting completion of an ongoing line of FRA-funded research rather than an open competitive solicitation. For administrative support accessing the full announcement, the posting referenced the GrantSolutions Help Desk as the point of contact.
FAQs: FY13 Rail Defect Detection Prototype Improvements - Air Coupled Solution (Final Phase)
What is the official name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "FY13 Rail Defect Detection Prototype Improvements Air Coupled Solution (Final Phase)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number?
The Funding Opportunity Number is FR RRD 13 007.
Which federal agency offered this grant?
This was a discretionary grant offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
What program was this grant offered under?
The grant was offered under the FRA Railroad Research and Development program.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed for this opportunity is 20.313.
When was the opportunity posted?
The opportunity was posted on May 31, 2013.
What was the application deadline?
The application deadline was June 14, 2013.
When was the opportunity archived?
The archive date was July 14, 2013.
What was the maximum award amount (ceiling)?
The award ceiling was $350,000.
Was there a minimum award amount stated?
No minimum award amount was stated in the information provided.
Did the grant require cost sharing or matching funds?
No. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching funds.
What was the main purpose of this grant amendment?
The amendment focused on advancing and refining an existing non-contact rail inspection prototype so it would be more practical for real-world railroad inspection environments, reflecting industry feedback about usability and hardware cost.
What earlier work did this final-phase effort build on?
This work continued development of a non-contact rail inspection system originally developed by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) through earlier FRA research and development grants DTFR53 02 G 00011 and FR RRD 0001 10 01 00.
What was the key technical shift being pursued in this phase?
The technical thrust was a shift to a fully air-coupled ultrasonic approach, using air-coupled transducers for both generating and receiving ultrasonic guided waves in the rail.
How did the earlier prototype differ from the approach in this final phase?
The earlier system used a combination of laser-based ultrasound generation and air-coupled sensing. This final-phase effort aimed to eliminate the laser component by using air-coupled transducers for both transmit and receive functions.
What are ultrasonic guided waves in the context of this project?
Guided waves are ultrasonic waves that can travel along the rail and interact with discontinuities, which makes them useful for locating internal flaws in the rail.
Why was moving to an all air-coupled method considered important?
Moving to an all air-coupled transduction method was intended to preserve or improve defect detection performance while simplifying the system and making it faster and cheaper to deploy in field settings.
What types of rail conditions was the prototype intended to evaluate?
The project centered on internal defect detection and also targeted rail surface characterization, with an emphasis on evaluating whether both functions could be integrated into a single prototype inspection platform.
What does "integrating internal defect detection and rail surface characterization" mean here?
It refers to assessing internal rail flaws (such as internal cracks or inclusions) and surface-related conditions (such as wear, corrugation, or other surface features) using one combined inspection approach rather than treating them as separate inspection tasks.
Why did the FRA emphasize combining internal and surface inspection capabilities?
The information provided indicates rail integrity issues involve both internal defects and surface conditions, and a single system capable of assessing both in one pass could streamline inspection workflows and improve overall diagnostic value.
What operational improvements were expected from an air-coupled non-contact system?
The FRA emphasized improved inspection speed and ease of operation compared with the earlier laser/air-coupled setup.
What benefits did the opportunity describe as goals for this final phase?
The expected benefits were (1) maintaining the improved defect detection accuracy demonstrated in prior work, (2) increasing inspection speed, and (3) reducing equipment complexity and cost to support adoption by rail operators.
What industry concerns did this project aim to address?
The opportunity was framed as responsive to industry input that previous hardware choices, especially laser-based components, could be costly or less practical for widespread field use.
Who was eligible to apply for this grant?
Eligibility was narrowly restricted to The Regents of the University of California, University of California, San Diego.
Was this an open competitive solicitation?
Based on the stated eligibility restriction, it was effectively a continuation or amendment supporting completion of an ongoing line of FRA-funded research rather than an open solicitation available to multiple applicants.
Who was listed as a point of contact for administrative support accessing the full announcement?
The posting referenced the GrantSolutions Help Desk for administrative support in accessing the full announcement.
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