Minnesota Department of Transportation

511 Travel Info

Research & Innovation

Need Statements - RFP 2023 (FY2025)

The annual academic research solicitation is only available to qualified universities. Please note that an active master contract must be in place as of December 1, 2023 to be selected.

The need statements below are listed by research categories and include the project champion and advisor. Preliminary literature searches are attached to each need statement. These were conducted by the MnDOT Library for the purposes of developing the research need statements and to avoid duplication of research. They are not a comprehensive literature search for the development of the project proposal.

Category Need Statement Champion Advisor
Environmental 702: Apply Landscape Ecology Principles to Create a Statewide Pollinator Network Tony Chevalier Jackie Jiran
703: Detection and Characterization of Bumble Bee Nesting Habitat and Nesting Habitat Potential along Roadsides Christopher E Smith, Ryan Foley Barb Fraley
704: New and Retrofitting of Egress Inlets, Open Conveyances, and Culvert Apron outfalls for trash and Plastic Collection from Stormwater Transport Dwayne Stenlund Barb Fraley
705: Species from Feces: A New Tool to Identify Bats in Culverts and on Bridges Christopher E. Smith, Ryan Foley Barb Fraley
Maintenance Operations 706: Cost Benefit Analysis for Sustainable Energy Building Upgrades at Safety Rest Areas and Travel Information Centers Tony Chevalier, Jennifer Krantz Barb Fraley
707: Amount of Bituminous Surface Lost Each Year Ethan Peterson David Glyer
Materials and Construction 708: Quantify the Benefits of using Geotextiles and Geogrids to Improve the Performance of Unbound Pavement Layers Terry Beaudry Jackie Jiran
709: Vulnerability Assessments of Critical Slope Areas using Advanced Monitoring Techniques Raul Velasquez Jackie Jiran
710: Feasibility of InSAR for Continuous Monitoring of Ground Deformation and Performance Tracking of Geotechnical Assets Raul Velasquez Jackie Jiran
Multimodal 714: An e-Bike of One's Own: How Access to an e-Assist Bicycle Impacts Mode Choice Emily Smoak, Hannah Pritchard Barb Fraley
715: Comparative Analysis of Grade-Separated Pedestrian Infrastructure and At-grade Treatments Kelly Corbin, Hannah Pritchard Marcus Bekele
Policy and Planning
711: Truck Size and Weight Impacts on Vehicle Miles Traveled Duane Hill, Laura Roads Dave Glyer
712: Freeway Corridor Economic Impact Duane Hill Marcus Bekele
713: Measuring Livability for the Metro District Livability Initiative Framework Gloria Jeff Barb Fraley
722: Best Practices for Electric Vehicles: Charging Stations Lyndon Robjent Jackie Jiran
723: Best Practices for Electric Vehicles: Fleet Conversion Lyndon Robjent Jackie Jiran
724: Best Practice for Oversized/Overweight Vehicles Aaron VanMoer Jackie Jiran

726: Develop App for using iPad /Tablet to Measure Stockpiles Brian Boder,
Randy Groves,
Jackie Jiran
Traffic and Safety 716: Setting Up Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) for Success Susan Zarling Brent Rusco
717: Roadside Feature Placement and Pedestrian Safety on Low and Intermediate Speed Road Hannah Pritchard Dave Glyer
718: Speed Impacts from Roundabouts and Other Traffic Control Devices Derek Leuer Dave Glyer
719: Effect of Centerlines on Prevailing Traffic Speeds on Low-speed, Two-lane, Two-way Roads in Urban Contexts Ken Johnson Marcus Bekele
720: Effectiveness of "Vehicle Noise Laws Enforced" Signage Josie Tayse, Justin Heinze Marcus Bekele
721: Roundabouts, J-Turn, etc. — Understanding their Economic Impacts Derek Leuer Jackie Jiran
725: User Understanding of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon Operation Joe Gustafson Jackie Jiran