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12/22/2025
The U.S. Department of Transportation has made available $33 million in federal grant funding for its University Transportation Centers (UTC) program. Applications are due Feb. 20, 2026.
UTCs are cohorts of colleges and universities that band together to conduct research on a specific transportation topic. USDOT awards these grants competitively, with selection criteria including the quality of proposed research and potential for its implementation, USDOT officials said in a press release.
USDOT will award up to $9 million to one UTC focused on regional and national transportation needs, and up to $6 million each for four UTCs researching unique or specific areas of transportation. More information on eligible projects and application details can be found in the notice of funding opportunity.
Funding for this round of UTC grants is due to the Trump administration's May cancellation of seven previously awarded university transportation research grants under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The canceled projects focused on equitable transportation, carbon emission reduction and their intersection.
The Trump administration deemed the projects "green" and "woke" and has refocused the grant program to prioritize safety in transportation through automated vehicles and driving systems, AI and machine learning, digital infrastructure and human-machine interface technologies, USDOT officials said.
The UTC program was first launched in 1988. To date, 100 different universities have received funding for transportation-related curriculum development, student support and continuing education programs.