State Transportation Innovation Council & Programs

The State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) is a federally required oversight committee that serves to identify and recommend innovation project ideas and manage the approved projects to completion. In Iowa, the Iowa Highway Research Board has taken on this role. If you have an idea that may merit evaluation for any of the STIC programs listed below, please visit our Submit Ideas page.

STIC Programs

State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) Incentive Program

The State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) Incentive Program awards each state up to $125,000 in federal funds per year to support or offset the costs of putting research into practice. To qualify for funding, projects must have a statewide impact, align with federal Technology and Innovation Deployment Program goals and other federal requirements, and be ready to begin within one year of receiving funds.

Accelerated Innovation Deployment

The Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration program provides funding as an incentive for eligible entities to accelerate the implementation and adoption of innovation in highway transportation. The AID Demonstration program is one initiative under the multi-faceted Technology and Innovation Deployment Program (TIDP) approach providing funding and other resources to offset the risk of trying an innovation.

Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis

Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) focuses on early-stage, high-risk, high pay-off, investigator led research in highways, transit, and railroad safety and performance.

Project Examples

Iowa has implemented a variety of research initiatives with the use of STIC funds. Projects funded as part of STIC Initiatives include:

Fiscal YearInnovationsProject
2022Crowdsourcing for Advancing OperationsPilot Hyperflow in the City of Dubuque for Signal Performance Assessment. ($64,000)
2022Digital As-BuiltsHold a Peer Exchange with AGC and ACEC for Bridge Digital Delivery. ($36,000)
2021e-TicketingImplement e-ticketing in rural areas. ($8,000)
2021Targeted Overlay Pavement Solutions (TOPS)Develop a guidebook for the application of Polymer-modified Asphalt Overlays. ($32,000)
2021Digital As-BuiltsDevelop Digital As-Builts into BIM pilot project. ($40,000)
2021Ultra-High Performance ConcreteHold a Peer Exchange on UHPC with a focus on link-slab and beam end repair techniques ($20,000)
2020STEPUpdate the Iowa Design manual to reflect the Complete Streets policy ($22,002.80)
2020A-GaMEAdvance the use Electrical Resistivity technology as part of an effort to promote FHWA's EDC-5 Advanced Geotechnical Exploration Methods. ($77,997.20)
2019STEPAdvance complete streets concepts into design process. ($64,000)
2018NEPAHost a workshop to improve NEPA synchronization utilizing the newly supdated Red Book. ($4,800)
2018VR OutreachAdvance virtual reality for transportation projects for improved public outreach and technology transfer purposes ($95,200)
2017PavementIn situ modulus measurement using automated plate load testing (APLT) to support the implementation of pavement mechanistic-empirical (ME) design ($80,000)
2016e-ConstructionExpand the use of mobile devices for e-Construction in field inspection applications ($36,000)
2016Innovation ExchangeSupport for the "Innovations in Transportation Conference" ($8,000)
2016Smarter Work ZonesDeployment of Iowa DOT Traffic Operations Open Data Service ($56,000)
2015e-ConstructionExpand the use of mobile devices for e-Construction in field inspection applications ($36,000)
2015Self-Cleaning CulvertDevelopment and delivery of technical guidance and training on the implementation of a self-cleaning culvert technology ($64,000)
20143D Engineered ModelsDevelop an implementation plan for using 3D tools for structural detailing ($43,997)
2014Accelerated Bridge ConstructionDesign and performance verification of a bridge column/footing/pile system for accelerated bridge construction ($56,003)