Request for Proposals

The UC Institute of Transportation Studies (UC ITS) 2025-26 Request for Proposals (RFP) is closed.

Review the 2025-26 proposal information below. The RFP will allocate approximately $2.8 million to support research that addresses and informs transportation policy, planning, and engineering issues in California. 

The RFP was open to eligible applicants at all UCs. The RFP has now closed for the 2025-26 funding year. Applicants will be notified about award decisions by Tuesday, August 5th, 2025.

Refer to the following resources for more information and to apply:

  • Access the full RFP here (updated May 12, 2025 – view FAQ for overview).
  • Prepare submission using this proposal template
  • Watch the RFP Informational Webinar here. PDF of slides available here.
  • RFP submission portal is now closed.

Important dates and timeline:

  • Request for proposals released Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 8:00 a.m. PT.
  • Informational Webinar scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025 from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. PT.
  • Proposal submissions due Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. PT.
  • Applicants will be notified about award decisions by Tuesday, August 5, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was changed in the May 12 RFP update?

The RFP was updated to reflect a recent change in funding availability for proposals from UC Davis PIs. ITS-Davis will only accept multi-campus proposals where UC Davis is the lead or a participating campus, and anticipates only awarding 1-2 projects. UC Davis single-campus proposals will not be considered. The change memo here details specifics.

How has the expected annual award range changed for all project types?

Section 3.3 Eligible Project Types has been updated as of the morning of May 1, 2025 to reflect the possibility of collaborative work on all project types, not just applied research projects. Each project type has a new award maximum for multi-campus projects in addition to the range provided for individual campus projects. The change memo here details specifics.

Can PIs who have a FY 2024-25 ending in December 2025 submit a proposal for a project starting in November 2025?

Yes, PIs with projects funded in the last year (FY 2024-25) are eligible to submit a proposal for a project starting in the 2025-26 year. As per the RFP section 3.1 Applicant Eligibility, “all expected project deliverables must be completed before FY 2025-26 funds will be disbursed.” Therefore the FY 2024-25 project must have all project deliverables turned in before the PI will receive funds for the new FY 2025-26 project, no matter when the start date is for the FY 2025-26 project

Is there a limit on the number of proposals that a Principal Investigator (PI) may submit?

Researchers are limited to being listed as a PI on only one applied research project and as a co-PI on one additional applied research project. There is no limit to the number of translational projects or research synthesis proposals a researcher may be listed as PI or co-PI on.

Can PIs with in-progress research projects funded by the UC ITS apply for funding in response to this RFP?
For Topic 6.1. Electric Vehicle Charging Deployment and Grid Implications, are only battery electric vehicles considered relevant or are fuel cell electric vehicles (and their refueling infrastructure) also relevant?
What type of grid implications are relevant for Topic 6.1. Electric Vehicle Charging Deployment and Grid Implications?
Can funding for graduate student researchers be included on Translational Projects?
For proposals on topics not covered by the research priorities listed in the RFP, are there additional forms or information that needs to be included in the proposal to demonstrate strong evidence of public agency and/or community-based organization (CBO) support?
To what extent will proposals that build off of research funded in previous RFP cycles be considered in the current FY 2025-26 RFP cycle?