AI Grants, AV Policy, and Emergency Response News
DOT Tech News
July 13, 2026 · Transportation Technology Briefing
Good morning, DOT tech nerds and professionals. This week we have a look at a new federal grant aimed at getting policymakers up to speed on AI and automated vehicles, plus two DOT heavyweights heading to Las Vegas for a national emergency response summit. Short but solid edition this week.
In this week's DOT Tech News:
- USDOT Offers $600K Grant to Teach Policymakers About AI and Automated Vehicles
- FHWA Chief and DOT Research Lead to Headline National Emergency Response Summit in Las Vegas
USDOT Offers $600K Grant to Teach Policymakers About AI and Automated Vehicles
USDOT just opened a $600,000 funding opportunity to train lawmakers, congressional staff, and law students on the transportation technologies reshaping federal policy.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (OST-R) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity for a 24-month cooperative agreement program called the Interdisciplinary Transportation Law and Policy Technology Training Development program. The program targets the gap between rapidly evolving technologies — specifically AI, automated vehicles, and digital infrastructure — and the policymakers responsible for regulating them.
The selected institution must develop three distinct products: a one-day training course for congressional and support staff, a one-hour executive briefing for elected officials, and a full-semester law school curriculum focused on transportation policy. The program will also produce regional pilot training sessions and transferable materials for long-term use. Only existing DOT-funded University Transportation Centers qualify to apply, and applicants must match at least 50% of total project costs.
The application deadline is August 28.
Why it matters: As AV regulation and AI governance move to the top of the federal agenda, DOT agencies and their technology vendors will increasingly operate in a policy environment shaped by whether lawmakers understand the tech — this program aims to close that gap directly.
Source: Department of Transportation
FHWA Chief and DOT Research Lead to Headline National Emergency Response Summit in Las Vegas
Federal Highway Administration Administrator Sean McMaster and DOT Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Seval Oz will take the stage as keynote speakers at the National Transportation Emergency Response Summit on July 22–23 in Las Vegas.
NTERS brings together transportation officials, public safety leaders, and emergency managers for a day-and-a-half of structured sessions focused on cross-state coordination, lessons learned, and resilience planning. The summit runs immediately after the WASHTO Annual Meeting, letting attendees stack both events into a single trip. Registration is open now at washto2026.com.
The agenda goes well beyond the keynotes. A bipartisan Governor's Roundtable on Regional Resilience features Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen and Hawaii Governor Josh Green as virtual panelists. Sessions cover the changing nature of emergency events, how connectivity and technology strengthen response, and strategies built from regional summits held throughout the year.
State DOT leaders from Texas, South Carolina, Connecticut, and Nevada — including Texas DOT Executive Director Marc Williams and Connecticut DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto — will share frontline perspectives across multiple sessions. Their presence signals that NTERS serves as a genuine peer-to-peer exchange, not just a federal briefing.
Why it matters: Technology vendors and agency IT leaders should watch NTERS closely — sessions on connectivity and emergency response tech will surface real procurement priorities and interoperability gaps that states are actively trying to solve.
Source: Department of Transportation / AASHTO Journal
Sponsored by Sourcetoad: Custom software and AI solutions for the AEC Industry.
Add a comment: