Railroad Research and Development (20.313)
Railroad Research and Development (Assistance Listing 20.313) is run by the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the Department of Transportation. It awarded $22.4 million in 15 grants from fiscal 2021 to 2025, about $1.5 million per award on average. No funding opportunity is open on Grants.gov right now.
The typical award was $500,000. Half of the 15 awards fell between $400,000 and $2.4 million, and they ranged from $100,000 to $5.0 million.
- Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$22.4 million
- Grant awards15
- Typical award$500,000
- Awarded in FY 2025$3.4 million
- Size rank1274 of 1824
- Type of assistanceProject grants
Key findings
- Annual funding rose from $3.1 million in fiscal 2021 to $3.4 million in fiscal 2025.
- It is the 1274th largest of 1,824 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
- The 5 largest recipients received 100% of the money.
- Awards went to recipients in 4 states and territories.
What the program funds
To foster long-range enhancement of the Federal Railroad Administration's program of research in support of rail safety by developing cooperative research relationships between the Administration and university and industry organizations.
Open opportunities
No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.
Rules from the program listing
Who can apply
Other public institution/organization, Private nonprofit institution/organization (includes institutions of higher education and hospitals), Quasi-public nonprofit institution/organization, Other private institutions/organizations Applicants can be major academic and industry research institutions with backgrounds in the rail transportation arena. A minimum of 5 years of railroad or railroad related research experience is typically required.
What the money can and cannot pay for
Projects must show a relationship towards advancing railroad safety and technology. Applicants must typically demonstrate 5 years of railroad research activity.
Matching requirements
This program has no statutory formula. Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Award range and average, in the agency's words
Range was $100,000 to $5,000,000 with an average of $1,850,420.
Examples of funded projects
Fiscal Year2025: Examples of projects funded in FY 2025 include research consisting of innovative concepts and methods to improve safety and performance of railroads. This includes the FY25 Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (FY25 Rail Safety IDEA) grant.
Funding history and past recipients
From fiscal 2021 to 2025, Railroad Research and Development (20.313) awarded$22.4 million across 15 grant awards, an average of $1.5 million per award.
| Recipient | State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short Line Safety Institute | District of Columbia | 7 | $14.8 million |
| University of Illinois | Illinois | 1 | $5.0 million |
| National Academy of Sciences | District of Columbia | 5 | $2.1 million |
| University of Maryland, College Park | Maryland | 1 | $400,000 |
| Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska | Nebraska | 1 | $176,552 |
Who usually wins
Nonprofits received 75% of the money, colleges and universities 25%.
| Recipient type | Awards | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonprofits | 12 | $16.9 million | 75% |
| Colleges and universities | 3 | $5.6 million | 25% |
By state
2 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards. They are District of Columbia and Illinois.
| State | Awards | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 12 | $16.9 million |
| Illinois | 1 | $5.0 million |
| Maryland | 1 | $400,000 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $176,552 |