National Summer Transportation Institute Program



Fiscal Year 2019National Summer Transportation Institute Statement of Work ApplicationNorth Dakota Department of TransportationTransmittal Sheet Contact RepresentativesHost Site: TBDState Transportation Agency Liaison:Name: Ramona BernardTitle: Director, Civil Rights DivisionPhone: 701-328-2576E-Mail: rbernard@State Transportation Agency Program Manager:Name: Gail BrownTitle: Civil Rights AdministratorPhone: 701-328-2605E-Mail: gbrown@Federal Highway Administration Division officeName: Pamela Todd Title: Civil Rights Program ManagerPhone: 701-221-9477E-Mail: pamela.todd@Fiscal Year 2019National Summer Transportation InstituteStatement of Work ApplicationNorth Dakota Department of TransportationSection A: Program InformationThe North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) wishes to designate $49,349.00 in available fiscal year 019 (FY2019) funding for the National Summer Transportation Institute for a program in the summer of 2020. The NDDOT will seek applications for a single two-week program, or multiple programs. The total funds available for all programs is $49,349.00. By requesting funds in FY2019 for a program that will take place in 2020, successful host site or sites will have nearly a year after notification to recruit and administer the institute. In 2016 and 2017, the NSTI in North Dakota failed to attract students, despite funding, due to a very compact period of time between the selection of a program SOW and the close of applications for potential participants. To remedy this situation, the NDDOT wishes to allocate funds a year in advance and to offer contacts and assistance to the successful entity with STEM instructors and teachers in high schools throughout ND. The successful host site(s) will be responsible for: Financial Reimbursement: Submit all invoices in a timely manner. Note: Expenses on invoices should reflect only the expenses listed in the approved budget. Section 508 Standards of the Rehabilitation Act: Ensure that their procurement of electronic and information technology takes into account the needs of all end users – including members of the public with disabilities who are seeking information or services, have access to and use of information and data that is comparable to that provided to others.Annual Post Program Questionnaire: Complete the online NSTI Questionnaire via a web link provided by HCR at the end of the program. Program Evaluations: Conduct weekly and post program participant evaluations.Section B: Program OverviewThe NSTI program objectives are to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, provide awareness to middle and high school students - particularly minority, female, and disadvantaged and/or at risk youth - about transportation careers, and encourage them to consider transportation-related courses of study in their higher education pursuits. Host sites are required to commit significant program time to classroom participation. The length of the program is typically 2 consecutive weeks per program. Host sites may be student day programs or residential programs in which room and board are provided at the Host Sites to the students.In order to achieve NSTI’s program objectives, the host site will recruit students from North Dakota schools in collaboration with high school counselors and other stakeholders. While every effort should be made to recruit female, minority or disadvantaged students, any student meeting the application criteria may apply. The host site will create a curriculum that will cover land, air, and water transportation systems in its classroom activities, field trips, and/or hands-on activities. Land transportation systems will include: concrete mix and testing, pavement design, transportation planning, public transit, and traffic engineering. Safety aspects of transportation systems will include: fatal vision goggles (simulate alcohol and drug impaired driving), texting (distracted driving), roll-over simulator (if available), safety belts (occupant protection), fatigue driving, teen drivers, speeding and aggressive driving, bicycle safety, and pedestrian safety. Water and air transportation will include water transportation services and gravity, respectively. Some of the hands-on activities may include mixing and testing of concrete specimens, pavement design using a computer program, traffic speed data collection using radar guns, surveying using the latest GPS instruments, and bridge design using a computer program and construction. The Enhancement program will include activities that improve study habits, promote academic achievement, and foster self-awareness. Sport and recreation activities will include sports or outdoor activities or field trips. Section C: Program AdministrationThe objectives of the North Dakota NSTI are to: increase students’ awareness of the significance of transportation in their daily lives; expose high school students to the variety of transportation careers available and demonstrate how transportation professionals work to identify and solve real-world issues that have society-wide impacts; increase students’ understanding of the importance and need for creative and innovative transportation solutions; explore safety aspects of transportation systems; become knowledgeable of the federal, state, and local governing agencies of the transportation modes; provide college and career guidance; expose students to the college campus and provide opportunities to meet faculty members and college students that are involved in academic programs that lead to transportation careers; and develop computer, professional, oral, and communication skills needed for successful study.Recruitment and Student Selection Procedures The host site will make contacts with STEM teachers at the appropriate level throughout North Dakota and will make contacts with organizations designed to increase women, minority and disadvantaged students in the transportation field. To this end, the NDDOT recommends contact with its TRAC program to facilitate these contacts. The host site will communicate to all these individuals and entities with regard to the application materials required and due date for prospective students. The host site will establish a selection committee to review all complete applications submitted by the deadline. Successful applicants should be notified and a “waiting list” of additional applicants should be prepared in the event that successful students are unable to participate. The competitiveness of admission will be based on the number of applications received and the qualifications of the applicants. Enrolling an academically qualified, diverse student body is essential to the NSTI, so applicants from underrepresented communities are especially encouraged to apply. In addition to academics, individual circumstances listed below are also considered as part of the overall assessment of each application. Outstanding talent, achievement, or aptitude in a particular areaContribution to the diversity of the student body, including (but not limited to) culture, gender, age, economic background, race, or geographic locationFirst-generation college student (student would be the first in the family to attend college)Evidence of having overcome social, economic, or physical barriers to academic achievementExtenuating circumstancesStaffing RequirementsThe program staff will include, at the least, the program director, an academic program coordinator, an academic aide (a student in a transportation field is an ideal candidate), and one or more resident hall managers or counselors (if the program is residential). The same person may act as an academic aide and residence hall counselor. The host site SOW should include job descriptions outlining all duties and responsibilities of NSTI staff. The Program Director shall be responsible for ensuring that plans for safety, emergency evacuation, incident reporting, and plans to accommodate participants with disabilities are in place in a timely fashion. Program Cost (Detailed Budget Summary):The North Dakota Department of Transportation will seek a budget amount of $49,349.00 for the 2020 NSTI program (from FY 2019 funds). While funding in past years was set at $20,000.00, the number of students in the SOWs received was 15. With a more expansive budget, the NDDOT will seek a program or programs that serve at least 30 students, either in a single program, or in multiple programs. Attachment #1 to this SOW (in Excel format) is a sample budget based roughly on amounts per student contained in past proposals. Each host site SOW must include a budget summary, ideally in Excel format. The format will be as follows: Table B shows detailed budget summary and narratives. The host site will ideally provide the residence hall manager. The host site should be willing to provide laboratory equipment, materials for testing, computer lab facilities, etc.TABLE B: PROGRAM COST (DETAILED BUDGET SUMMARY)State:NDBudget??CategoriesFHWA Funds RequestedIn-Kind Contribution(s)Total CostHost Site:Personnel Fiscal Year:2019 (Program in 2020)Fringe Benefits ? Recruitment Contractual Services Meal and Food Costs Travel Supplies Room Cost Direct Cost Indirect Cost ????Totals ????Budget Narratives?CategoriesNarrativesCost BreakdownsFHWA Funds RequestedIn-Kind Contribution(s)Total Cost?Personnel???? ? ? ? Fringes? ? ? ? Recruitment???? ? ? Food???? Travel???? ?? ?? ?? Supplies Room & Board? ?? Indirect ? ?Total? Inter-Modal Advisory CommitteeThe successful host site will involve a cooperative effort among federal, state and local transportation agencies, community-based organizations (CBOs), educational institutions and the private sector. The host site will establish an Intermodal Advisory Committee (IAC). It is composed of representatives from the host site, state agencies, public transit, and professionals in transportation industry from the public and private sector. This committee helps review the proposal and curriculum, assists with planning and securing funds, and provides technical assistance. The Project Director will convene a meeting (in person and/or conference call) of the IAC two months prior to the start date of the NSTI program. TABLE C: INTER-MODAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (IAC)State: North DakotaFiscal Year: 2019Name: Gail BrownTitle:NSTI Program ManagerOrganization:NDDOT Name:Travis MillerTitle:TRAC Program DirectorOrganization:NDDOTName: Title: Organization: Specific-Named PartnersThe host site will show the specific names of partners or sponsors in Table D of the NSTI SOW form. High school counselors will help recruit interested and qualified students. The partners also include professionals from public and private agencies who will provide guest lectures and field trips. The NDDOT encourages all members of its staff to be responsive if requested by the host site to act as guest lecturers or to assist with field trips to facilities or project sites. Implementation Schedule Table E lists the tasks to be performed, task assignment (s), action (s) required, and the timeframe for completion. The program will be offered in the June or July of 2020. The host site will provide a detailed implementation schedule in its SOW. (See Table E, to follow.) TABLE E: IMPLEMENTATION PLANState: NDNorth Dakota DOT Fiscal Year: 2019Task:Solicit Host Site SOW applications Assigned To:Program Manager Action Required:Send Posters and Application Materials Universities and Colleges and any other Host site possibilitiesCreate NSTI area of NDDOT CRD websiteTimeframe:April-May, 2019; Deadline of June 1 Task:Review SOW Applications, if any Assigned To:Internal Selection Committee, if multiple applications.Program Administrator review, if a single application. Action Required:Review SOWs, if multiple SOWs are received, select a host site or sitesTimeframe:June, 2019 Task:Submit all SOWs to FHWAAssigned To:Selection Committee or Program Manager Action Required:Ensure FHWA has all SOW, including the host site selected and any other sites not selected. Timeframe:By July 1, 2019Task:Work with host site to make connections with TRAC and other contacts with organizations or entities to recruit candidates. Assigned To:Program Manager ; TRAC Program Manager Action Required:Frequent Contact with host site Timeframe:Summer and Fall 2019Task:Assist Host site in Developing an Application and Process Assigned To:Program Manager Action Required:Make suggestions and Help with Development of Application Timeframe:Application should be complete by December 31.Task:Assist with Review of ApplicationsAssigned To:Program DirectorAction Required:Act as a member of Committee Timeframe:Selection by April 1, 2020.Program Curriculum (STEM-Focused)Academic The academic program will be STEM-focused, and designed to provide a stimulating introduction to the transportation industry and career opportunities. The program will include exposure to all modes of transportation: land, air, water, and incorporate topics on safety. Professionals who work the transportation industry will be invited to share their experiences through presentations. Hands-on activities related to different topics will be provided to help develop students’ problem-solving skills and reinforce what they had learned. Land TransportationConcrete mix design, mixing, making specimens, and testing; pavement design and construction; transportation planning; alternative modes of transportation; freight transportation; traffic engineering; surveying; bridge design and construction, etc. will be covered.Concrete: Concrete is one of the most widely used material for the construction of transportation infrastructures, such as bridges and pavements. The NSTI participants will be introduced to concrete in the classroom. They will learn about the various components that make up concrete and concepts behind concrete mix design. Pavement Design and Analysis: Students will be introduced to the design and construction of both asphalt and concrete pavements. This will involve tours of an asphalt and/or concrete pavement construction site.Transportation Planning: Transportation planner does the evaluation, assessment, design, and siting of transportation facilities, such as streets, highways, bike lanes, and public transportation lines. Transportation planning will be introduced in the classroom. Ideally, a transportation planner will be invited as a guest speaker. Alternative Modes of Transportation: Different modes of transportation for people and goods will be introduced. This would include biking, transit ridership, trucking and trains. Traffic Engineering: Traffic Engineering is a branch of civil engineering that uses engineering techniques to achieve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods on roadways. It focuses mainly on research for safe and efficient traffic flow, such as road geometry, sidewalks and crosswalks, segregated cycle facilities, shared lane marking, traffic signs, road surface markings and traffic lights. Students will be introduced to traffic engineering. Surveying: Surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them. These points are usually on the surface of the Earth, and they are often used to establish a predesigned elevation (height) pavements and bridges above the mean sea level to ensure optimum performance. Surveyors use elements of mathematics (geometry and trigonometry), physics, engineering, and the law. Students will be introduced to basics of surveying. Bridge: Bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles, such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. There are many different designs that all serve unique purposes and apply to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it. Students will study aspects of bridge construction and have “hands on” experience designing a model bridge. Air TransportationTopics may include: fundamentals of flight; aviation careers and airline regulation; the National Airspace System; and runway orientation, traffic pattern, and pattern altitude. Water Transportation Water transportation will be introduced with emphasis on deep sea freight transportation, deep sea passenger transportation, and local water transportation. The use of Canals, such as Panama, Suez, etc. to transport freight internationally and careers available in water transportation will be discussed as well.Safety and Human FactorsThe NSTI participants will be introduced to human factors research as a critical component of traffic safety studies. The curriculum will cover the dangers of impaired or distracted driving and the importance of seat belts for passenger safety. Enhancement The enhancement program exposes students to methods and activities that improve study habits, promote academic achievement, and foster self-awareness. Enhancement activities may include: Time Management Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) PrepAmerican College Testing (ACT).Problem Solving, analytical skills, and critical thinking.Research techniques and library use.Oral and written communication puter skills.Sports/Recreation The objectives of planned weekend and evening activities are to provide students with additional experience working in teams and to promote a spirit of collegiality and good sportsmanship among the NSTI participants. It will provide a healthy and competitive attitude among the participants, and expose them to rules and regulations. EvaluationsThe purpose of the evaluation is to determine how well the program has accomplished its goals and identify ways to improve the effectiveness of the NSTI. The NSTI team will administer program evaluations. Students, faculty, staff, and guests will be provided with evaluation forms for completion. The NDDOT will review evaluations and conduct its own evaluation of the successes and challenges of the program. In this way, the NDDOT hopes to make the NSTI a yearly event in North Dakota, and to improve the program each year. ................
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