NCHRP Seeking Panel Members for New FY 2027 Projects

04 June 2026

Immediate Action Requested by June 30, 2026

On April 28-29, 2026, the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I) formulated the NCHRP's FY 2027 program. We are asking for your help in identifying individuals with relevant expertise and experience to volunteer to serve on each project’s oversight panel.

Nominations should be submitted online from the TRB website at MyTRB at this link: https://volunteer.mytrb.org/Panel/AvailableProjects. You will be asked to login to MyTRB. If you do not already have an account, you will be asked to quickly create one using your email and a password.

Although the FY 2027 projects are tentative (they have not yet been approved by States' ballot), we are soliciting now for nominees to meet future deadlines. We appreciate anything you can do to identify or nominate qualified individuals by June 30, 2026.

Note to FHWA employees: Although you may be on the distribution list for this e-mail, assignment of FHWA liaisons is coordinated through Ms. Jean Landolt’s office. You will receive a separate e-mail from Ms. Landolt to initiate that process. As a reminder, FHWA employees may serve as liaisons to NCHRP panels but not as members.

Contacts to determine an individual's interest in serving will be made from this office after we have matched available expertise with that required by the nature of the project.

• Panels for the new projects are scheduled to meet in person, beginning in August through November. Panel members are prohibited from submitting or participating in preparation of proposals on projects under their jurisdiction. They serve without compensation but are paid travel and subsistence expenses. Travel insurance is provided at no cost to the members. In many cases, three meetings are held in the life of a project, and these normally occur in Washington, D.C. The first meeting is to develop a request for proposals that is used to solicit proposals; the second meeting is to select a research agency from among those submitting proposals. Typically, a third meeting will be held to review progress with the research team while the research is active.
• Membership on each panel will number approximately eight, and panels operate under the guidance of a chair--"Your Role as an NCHRP Panel Member". The NCHRP staff serves as the secretariat.

Before nominating yourself to serve as a panel member, please review our Conflict of Interest policy: https://www.trb.org/CRP/COI-CRP.aspx. Please be advised that if you are selected to serve on a panel and we receive a proposal for that project that presents a conflict of interest for you, we will reject the proposal. This also applies to liaisons.

We are grateful for your support of the NCHRP by providing nominees each year. With the nominees continuing to outnumber the available positions by about four to one, we have been able to establish panels outstanding in their ability to play a critical role in the accomplishment of successful research. Please realize that if your nominee(s) is not selected, there are several factors to be considered when forming well-balanced and objective panels. Although expertise is the primary factor, we also attempt a proper balance in terms of geographic areas, and organization or agency types (e.g., public and private agencies, universities, associations, local and state government).

NCHRP Synthesis Program Now Accepting Topic Statements

20 Apr 2026

Topic statements are due by 11:59:59pm EST on June 15, 2026.

The NCHRP Synthesis Topic submittal portal is now open. Submit a topic statement at this link: https://nchrpballoting.trb.org/synthesis.

Topic statements are due by 11:59:59pm EST on June 15, 2026. Late submittals will not be accepted.

Important changes:

1. Submitters are strongly encouraged to consider the federal administration’s priorities when proposing synthesis topics.
2. While anyone can write or contribute to preparing a Topic Statement, submittals will only be accepted from the following sources:
1. Employees of state departments of transportation
2. AASHTO staff on behalf of AASHTO committees or councils
3. Employees of the Federal Highway Administration
3. Submitters will use their MyTRB credentials to login to the online submittal system. If you do not have a MyTRB account, you will be prompted to create one.
4. Instead of uploading a document, the submitter will fill in an online form; text can be either typed directly into the form or can be cut and pasted from a document.
5. Topic submittals that propose going beyond the scope of an NCHRP Synthesis will not be accepted.
1. A synthesis documents current highway-related practices at state departments of transportation (DOTs).
• A synthesis does not document best practice.
• A synthesis is not a research project or a guide; it does not make recommendations.
2. The topic addresses an area of practice that is widespread and of interest to most state DOTs.
3. The topic should be timely and critical for expediting the delivery, improving the quality, or lowering the cost of highway programs.
4. All syntheses use the same approach for gathering information: a literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs to develop case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for future research to address those gaps will be identified.
5. Synthesis contracts are fixed-price with a total budget of $65,000 and an 11-month period of performance.

The problem statement outline is available here: Topic Statement Outline.

Please direct any questions you may have to MyTRB@nas.edu and use "NCHRP Synthesis” in the subject line.

NCHRP U.S. Domestic Scan Program is now accepting Scan Topic Statements

20 Apr 2026

Topic statements are due by 11:59:59pm EST on June 15, 2026.

The NCHRP U.S. Domestic Scan Topic submittal portal is now open. Submit a scan topic statement at this link: https://nchrpballoting.trb.org/domestic_scan.

Topic statements are due by 11:59:59pm EST on June 15, 2026. Late submittals will not be accepted.

Important changes:

1. Submitters are strongly encouraged to consider the federal administration’s priorities when proposing scan topics.
2. While anyone can write or contribute to preparing a Scan Topic Statement, submittals will only be accepted from the following sources:
1. Employees of state departments of transportation
2. AASHTO staff on behalf of AASHTO committees or councils
3. Employees of the Federal Highway Administration
3. Submitters will use their MyTRB credentials to login to the online submittal system. If you do not have a MyTRB account, you will be prompted to create one.
4. Instead of uploading a document, the submitter will fill in an online form; text can be either typed directly into the form or can be cut and pasted from a document.
5. Scan Topic submittals that propose going beyond the scope of an NCHRP U.S. Domestic Scan will not be accepted. A scan is a rigorous, immersive learning experience—intellectually demanding yet professionally rewarding. It delivers two primary outcomes:
• A scan report that identifies effective, proven innovations with high potential for broader use.
• A scan report that identifies effective, proven innovations with high potential for broader use.

The problem statement outline is available here: Scan Topic Statement Outline.

Please direct any questions you may have to MyTRB@nas.edu and use "NCHRP Domestic Scan” in the subject line.