The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is accepting applications for the second year of its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program.

The program will fund up to $100 million in grants per year from 2022-2026 to conduct demonstration projects focused on advanced smart community technologies and systems that improve transportation efficiency and safety.

"New technologies like connected vehicles, smart traffic signals, and more have the potential to make our transportation system dramatically safer and more efficient, yet many public sector agencies aren’t equipped to harness the full potential of these innovations," said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. "Our SMART program helps give State, local, and Tribal governments the resources they need to find technological solutions to some of their most pressing transportation challenges."

This SMART Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will accept applications for Stage 1 Planning and Prototyping grants. During Stage 1, the SMART program seeks to fund innovation aimed at solving real-world transportation problems and focused on building data and technology capacity and experience for State, local, and Tribal governments. The program also recognizes that many public sector transportation agencies face challenges finding the resources and personnel to leverage new technologies; so, the program builds in the time and support to enable successful deployment.

The funding opportunity is open to public sector entities seeking to carry out transportation projects that demonstrate at least one of the following technology areas:

■ Coordinated automation

■ Connected vehicles

■ Sensors

■ Systems integration

■ Delivery/logistics

■ Innovative aviation

■ Smart grid

■ Traffic signals

"The Department is investing in new technology solutions that make our transportation systems safer and more efficient. Last year’s inaugural SMART grants reflected this dynamic, centering on solutions in areas like safety, transit innovation, and managing public space, addressing pressing challenges in communities with right-sized innovations," said Dr. Robert C. Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology and Chief Scientist at USDOT.

The SMART Grants Program was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed by President Biden on November 15, 2021.