CONSENSUS AND ADVISORY STUDIES
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Airport Cooperative Research Programs (ACRP) Subprograms
ACRP Synthesize Information on Airport Projects
Airport managers, engineers, and researchers face problems for which information already exists, either
in documented form or as undocumented experience and practice. This information may be fragmented,
scattered, and unevaluated. There is information and experience on nearly every subject of concern to
airport administrators and engineers. Much of it derives from research and much from the work of
practitioners faced with problems in their day-to-day work. To provide a systematic means for assembling
and evaluating such useful information and making it available to the entire airport community, the
ACRP's Synthesis of Airport Practice searches out and synthesizes useful knowledge from all available
sources to prepare concise, documented reports on specific topics.
Process
ACRP Project Committee 11-03 annually select synthesis topics for study from problem statements submitted
by airport practitioners.
Each topic has an expert panel consisting of practitioners and researchers that refines the tentative
scope of work and select the Principal Investigator. They also oversee and approve deliverables and
makes a publication recommendation.
Volunteer to be a Panel Member
The synthesis panel member commitment is approximately 9-12 months. Responsibilities include:
- Finalizing the scope of work
- Selecting the Principal Investigator
- Reviewing and approving deliverables
- Publication recommendation
ACRP usually solicits panel members at the beginning of the year. To volunteer for an open panel submit a
self-nomination through MyACRP.
Contractor Information
Principal Investigators performing work on ACRP Syntheses of Practice should follow the guidance in Information for
Principal Investigators Preparing Syntheses.
Letters of Interest (LOI) submittals for consultants wishing to perform as an ACRP synthesis Principal
Investigator are usually solicited at the beginning of the year.
LOI's should contain a cover letter plus a resume or CV, and should convey a concise idea of your
knowledge on the topic, and your related work and experience in the subject area. Principal
Investigators are selected by the panel at their first meeting.
Please note, for synthesis projects consultants will be paid $55,000 on a fixed-price basis. A sample of
the consultant contract can be found here. TRB does not
negotiate the terms of these fixed-price contracts.
Topics
Problem statements are collected from members of the aviation community, such as airport operators,
aviators, airlines, state department of transportation, and aviation division personnel.
The following factors are considered for the selection of synthesis topics:
- The topic should address a problem that is widespread enough to generate broad interest in the
synthesis.
- The topic should be timely and critical for expediting delivery, improving the quality, or lowering
the cost of airport programs.
- The current practice of the topic is non-uniform or inconsistent from agency to agency, or if the
validity of some practices appears to be questionable.
- The quality and quantity of useful available information indicates a need to organize and compress
what has already been learned and written on the topic.
- The topic should not be one where ongoing research or other activities in progress are expected to
render the synthesis obsolete shortly after completion.
Synthesis Studies
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