About the ACRP Graduate Research Award Program

The ACRP (Airport Cooperative Research Program) Graduate Research Award (GRA) is intended to stimulate thought, discussion, and research by those who may become the future airport managers, operators, designers, and policymakers in aviation. The focus of this graduate student research program is on applied research on airport and related aviation system issues to help the public sector continue to improve the quality, reliability, safety, and security of the U.S. civil aviation system well into the foreseeable future.

Awardees receive a $12,000 stipend, access to a panel of expert advisors in the chosen research area, an opportunity to present at the TRB Annual Meeting following completion of their paper, and the potential to publish that paper in the Transportation Research Record.

Airports are vital national resources. They serve key roles in the transportation of people and goods and in regional, national, and international commerce. They are where the nation’s aviation system connects with other modes of transportation and where federal responsibility for managing and regulating air traffic operations intersects with the role of state and local governments that own and operate most airports. Research is necessary to solve common operating problems, to adapt appropriate new technologies from other industries, and to introduce innovations into the airport industry.