The National Research Council (NRC) Research Associateship Programs (RAP) promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U.S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.

Prospective applicants select a research project from among a large group of research opportunities available through this website.

One of the current research projects available is with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) examining road user behavior with virtual and augmented reality in McLean, VA.

Description of the project:

Over 90% of traffic incidents can be attributed to road user/driver errors. As the transportation sector continues to introduce various new technologies/countermeasures to reduce user errors and improve safety, it is important to examine how road users (drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.) will respond to them. Will various alerts from new vehicle safety systems cause driver confusion or overreliance? Will transportation users know what to do when they see new traffic control devices and symbols on the roadway? The continual advancements in computer technology and 3D simulation offer transportation researchers the capability to create Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) that was not possible in the past. VR/AR can be utilized to examine a wide range of road user behavior and actions. This research is envisioned to plan, design, and implement experiments and collect data using VR or AR to demonstrate an innovative means to study the behavior of road users.

If you are interested in this project, please contact David Yang at david.yang@dot.gov.

Please see this list for all the research associateship projects and the program’s website for deadlines and more information.