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12 around the world through international scans of technologies and development and coordination with other national RD&T programs. Increase Involvement with Other Federal Departments and Entities Just as many of the issues confronting the modal administrations cut across many of the administrations, many of the issues the U.S. DOT faces are also being faced by other agencies, research institutions, and regulatory bodies. The department needs to deepen its relationships with other federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense and also the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to include research. The draft plan contains some generalities about this type of interaction but does not provide many specifics. The department should consider becoming more involved with the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science and Technology Council. If the U.S. DOT develops better connections with these organizations, it may have a better opportunity to provide input and shape the transportation and transportation-related research funding within the department and across the federal government in the future. Determine Important Areas of Future Research As part of its strategic planning process, the U.S. DOT should consider and explore areas that will be of concern in future years, such as technological and other issues discussed earlier in this report. A research agenda on policy should also consider competition within and across modes and the potential for influencing modal preferences to serve social, economic, and environmental goals. An emphasis on needed research topics may also help alleviate the losses in funding for research programs, including the National Cooperative Freight Research Program and the Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program, which were abolished by MAP-21. CONCLUDING REMARKS In closing, the committee is pleased that the U.S. DOT is engaged in strategic RD&T planning and has welcomed the opportunity to comment on the draft strategic plan at a point at which it could influence the final document. The 2006 review occurred late in the report development cycle and had little impact on the previous RD&T strategic plan. The committee has striven to be candid and constructive in its review and trusts that its advice will be received in this spirit. I welcome the opportunity to discuss this review and look forward to progress in this important area. Sincerely, Mortimer Downey Chair Committee on the Review of the U.S. DOT Strategic Plan for Research, Development, and Technology Attachment 1: Committee on the Review of the U.S. DOT Strategic Plan for Research, Development, and Technology Attachment 2: Meeting Presentations Attachment 3: 2006 Review of USDOT RD&T Strategic Plan
