Opportunity Information: Apply for FTA 2011 014 TRI
Apply for FTA 2011 014 TRI
- The DOT/Federal Transit Administration in the transportation sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Railcar Maintenance Practices" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.514 Public Transportation Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 26, 2011 and posted on Mar 18, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by May 9, 2011 Close Date Extended to May 9, 2011.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $400,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $400,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
- All applicants must be registered on the Federal Governments Central Contract Registration (CCR) and the online Representation and Certifications Application (ORCA) systems prior to project award (www.bpn.gov/ccr).
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Opportunity Summary:
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), under the U.S. Department of Transportation, issued a discretionary research Request for Proposals (RFP) titled "Railcar Maintenance Practices" (Funding Opportunity Number FTA 2011 014 TRI). The opportunity funds a single research project intended to examine how public transportation agencies that operate rail passenger service maintain their railcars, and how well different maintenance approaches perform in real-world transit operations. This work falls under FTA research authority in 49 USC 5312, which supports research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of U.S. rail transit systems.
The core purpose of the project is to identify agencies that appear to be doing maintenance especially well and then closely study what they are doing differently. The FTA specifically points to performance-based indicators for identifying "best practice" agencies, including on-time performance, safety record, and mean time between failures (a reliability measure often used to show how frequently vehicles experience failures that disrupt service). Once those higher-performing agencies are identified, the research is expected to evaluate their railcar maintenance plans and day-to-day maintenance processes, then document the specific practices, methods, and procedures that contribute to highly effective outcomes. In practical terms, this implies a comparative, evidence-driven review of maintenance programs, with deliverables that translate observed successes into replicable guidance for the broader rail transit industry.
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the FTA anticipates substantial involvement with the recipient during the project rather than a hands-off grant. The estimated total funding is $400,000, with an award ceiling of $400,000 and no stated minimum award amount (award floor of $0). Cost sharing or matching is not required. The FTA expected to make one award under this announcement.
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is open to any type of applicant as long as they meet any conditions stated in the full announcement and comply with federal registration requirements. Prior to award, applicants must be registered in the federal Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), referenced through www.bpn.gov/ccr (noting these systems later evolved, but the announcement reflects the requirements at the time). Proposals had to be submitted electronically through grants.gov, and the notice emphasized starting the grants.gov registration process early to avoid missing the deadline.
Key dates in the notice include an original proposal deadline of April 18, 2011 at midnight EDT, which was later extended to May 9, 2011. The opportunity was posted March 18, 2011, and the archive date is listed as June 8, 2011. The FTA indicated it expected to award the cooperative agreement by June 17, 2011.
For applicants needing help accessing the full announcement, the listed point of contact was Patrick Centolanzi, Program Manager, Federal Transit Administration, Office of Technology (TRI-20), located at 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): FTA "Railcar Maintenance Practices" (FTA 2011 014 TRI)
1) What is this funding opportunity?
This is a discretionary research Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) under the U.S. Department of Transportation. The RFP is titled "Railcar Maintenance Practices" and is identified as Funding Opportunity Number FTA 2011 014 TRI.
2) What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is intended to examine how public transportation agencies that operate rail passenger service maintain their railcars, and how well different maintenance approaches perform in real-world transit operations. A central goal is to identify agencies that appear to be doing maintenance especially well and then closely study what they are doing differently.
3) What type of work is the research expected to include?
Based on the notice, the work is expected to include:
- Identifying higher-performing rail transit agencies using performance-based indicators.
- Evaluating those agencies' railcar maintenance plans and day-to-day maintenance processes.
- Documenting specific practices, methods, and procedures associated with highly effective outcomes.
- Producing practical deliverables that translate observed successes into replicable guidance for the broader rail transit industry.
4) What does FTA mean by identifying "best practice" agencies?
The notice describes using performance-based indicators to identify agencies that appear to be doing maintenance especially well. Examples of indicators specifically cited include on-time performance, safety record, and mean time between failures (a reliability measure describing how frequently vehicles experience failures that disrupt service).
5) What is "mean time between failures" in the context of this opportunity?
Mean time between failures is described in the notice as a reliability measure often used to show how frequently vehicles experience failures that disrupt service. In this project, it is one of the performance-based indicators that may be used to help identify higher-performing agencies.
6) What legal authority supports this research?
The work falls under FTA research authority in 49 USC 5312, which supports research, development, demonstration, and deployment projects aimed at improving the safety and efficiency of U.S. rail transit systems.
7) What is the funding instrument?
The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement. This means the FTA anticipates substantial involvement with the recipient during the project, rather than a hands-off grant structure.
8) How much funding is available?
The estimated total funding is $400,000. The award ceiling is $400,000, and there is no stated minimum award amount (award floor of $0).
9) Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. The notice states that cost sharing or matching is not required.
10) How many awards did FTA expect to make?
The FTA indicated it expected to make one award under this announcement, funding a single research project.
11) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is listed as unrestricted, meaning the competition is open to any type of applicant, provided they meet any conditions in the full announcement and comply with federal registration requirements described in the notice.
12) What registrations were required before an award could be made?
Prior to award, applicants had to be registered in the federal Central Contractor Registration (CCR) and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA), referenced through www.bpn.gov/ccr. The notice reflects the systems and requirements as stated at the time of the announcement.
13) How were proposals required to be submitted?
Proposals had to be submitted electronically through grants.gov. The notice emphasized starting the grants.gov registration process early to avoid missing the deadline.
14) What were the key dates for this opportunity?
- Posted date: March 18, 2011
- Original proposal deadline: April 18, 2011 (midnight EDT)
- Extended proposal deadline: May 9, 2011
- Archive date: June 8, 2011
- Expected award date: June 17, 2011
15) Was the proposal deadline changed?
Yes. The original deadline was April 18, 2011 at midnight EDT, and it was later extended to May 9, 2011.
16) When did FTA expect to make the award?
The notice stated that FTA expected to award the cooperative agreement by June 17, 2011.
17) Where could applicants get help accessing the full announcement?
The listed point of contact was Patrick Centolanzi, Program Manager, Federal Transit Administration, Office of Technology (TRI-20), 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20590.
18) What federal office within FTA is associated with this opportunity?
The contact information references the Federal Transit Administration, Office of Technology (TRI-20), indicating that this office was associated with the opportunity.
19) What outcomes is the research trying to improve for rail transit systems?
Within the scope described, the research is aligned with improving the safety and efficiency of U.S. rail transit systems, and it specifically looks at maintenance approaches and how they perform in real-world operations.
20) What kinds of performance results are implied to matter for maintenance effectiveness?
The notice points to performance-based indicators such as on-time performance, safety record, and mean time between failures. These indicators imply a focus on reliability, service performance, and safety outcomes when assessing how well maintenance approaches work.
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