Manual Notice: 2022-1

From:
Kevin Pete, Director, Research and Technology Implementation Division
Manual:
Research Manual
Effective Date:
April 27, 2022
Purpose
Update Chapters 1-10 of the
Research Manual
.
  • To reflect improved business practices;
  • To update personnel role titles as well as committee name changes; and
  • To introduce something new that has never been addressed before.
Contents
These manual changes add and update information regarding TxDOT’s
Research Manual
. These changes supersede prior versions of the manual and affect all chapters of the
Research Manual
:
  • Chapter 1, Introduction
    • Primarily grammatic updates for a better read
    • Added additional authority for the Research Program
    • Updated TxDOT Mission Statement
  • Chapter 2, Program Overview
    • Added and explained the distinction between all Research Program guidance documents under Section 1, Research Program Overview
    • Removed graphic of RTI's Organizational Chart
    • Removed graphic of STIC Process
    • Added additional, relevant Research Program authority under Goals and Objectives of the Research Program matrix
    • Updated Transportation Research Types in Section 3, Types of Research
    • Updated legal authority when referencing
      Applied and Basic Research
    • Better clarified the use of
      Private firms and other private entities
  • Chapter 3, Roles and Responsibilities
    • Updated committee name changes throughout Chapter
    • Added committee focus areas in Section 2, Committees
    • Added FHWA’s participation in providing input to the Project Monitoring Committee section of Section 2, Committees
    • Updated University Personnel name change in Section 3, University Personnel
  • Chapter 4, Research Cycle
    • Added statement to clarify Problem Statement Life Cycle
    • Minor grammatical updates for a better flow and read
    • Updated FHWA threshold amounts in Section 5, Research Equipment Authority
    • Clarified the invoice deadline once exceeded in Section 6, End of Project Process
  • Chapter 5, Implementation Program Development
    • Updates for clarity and easier flow of read in the General, University Work, and Technology Transfer sections
    • Clarified Capital Equipment purchases in Section 2, Implementation Projects
  • Chapter 6, Contracting
    • Updated Principal Investigator as a change in role title in Section 2, Modifications
    • Added and clarified the use of Technology Readiness Level in Section 3, Project Performance Measures
  • Chapter 7, Invoicing
    • Updated Section 5, Project Closeout, updated the federal code regarding project closeout
  • Chapter 8, Additional Costs from TxDOT, FHWA, and Local Participants
    • Clarified Approval for the use of RTI's charge numbers in Section1, Program Management section
  • Chapter 9, Other Research Programs
    • Added Section 4, Local Technical Assistance Program
    • Added Section 5, University Transportation Centers Program
  • Chapter 10, Product Evaluation Program
    • Section 3, Clarified the New Product Evaluation Form 1684
    • Section 3, added the use of and Product Evaluation website and link to the website
  • Appendix A, References
    • Added Office of Management and Budget to the Acronyms listUpdated FHWA Definitions
    • Added Technology Readiness Level to the Acronyms and Definitions list
Statements
Certification and Disclaimer Statements
are available in PDF format.
Contact
For more information about this manual, please contact the Research and Technology Implementation Division at 512-416-4730 or by email at
RTIMain@txdot.gov
.
Archives
Past manual notices are available in a
PDF archive
.