2026 Impacts Report: An Enduring Legacy of Research, Education, and Engagement

Performance Measures: Strengthen Research Expertise and Knowledge Development

CTS annually gathers performance measures data to quantify our impacts in effecting changes that improve transportation. Below, key measures from FY26 showcase our work related to one of CTS's three Areas of Excellence: Strengthen Research Expertise and Knowledge Development.

Research Funding

The University received $15.25 million in transportation research funding in FY26. This is a 25 percent increase from FY25, and it demonstrates the continued strong position of the UMN transportation enterprise. The majority of this increase is due to continued federal funding for the Mobility, Access, and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) program and reflects a large National Science Foundation (NSF) grant secured by CTS scholar and computer science professor Zhi-Li Zhang. This year's number reflects stable funding from last year across multiple larger programs and continued success in securing projects from local, state, and national funders.

FY26 Analysis

The University of Minnesota's transportation research enterprise remains extremely strong. We surpassed our FY26 funding target in FY24 and have continued to grow well above the goals set in FY24. In addition to the MATI and NSF projects mentioned above, continued work on the Empowering Small Minnesota Communities program and the partnership with University of Michigan's Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT) also contribute significantly to research funding.

FY27 Outlook

Funding for research in FY27 continues to look positive. The Accessibility Observatory (AO) research team will soon be under contract for a third round of pooled-fund resources from the Federal Highway Administration and 10 partner states. AO is also pursuing a number of other external grant opportunities. CTS-affiliated scholars continue to pursue cutting-edge research and remain competitive across a number of fields of study nationally. We anticipate steady rates of research projects and funding in FY27.

Overall, CTS will work with internal partners, such as the Research and Innovation Office and other U of M colleges, to identify and pursue larger, cross-system efforts in areas of University research strength. Center leadership will also continue to explore collaborations with peer institutions to build national relationships with a goal of securing additional funding.

Featured Measures

CTS continues to see a stable increase to the overall number of active research projects. In addition to the three core departments that make up the project portfolio — Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and St. Anthony Falls Laboratory — the Humphrey School of Public Affairs began several new projects in FY26.

Following a return to pre-pandemic numbers in FY22, the number of peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings have continued to decline. Other measures in the research area of excellence remain stable over the past five years, though we see the same decline of new products and practices being adapted by organizations. CTS staff will continue to monitor research outputs to determine if this is an ongoing trend or simply a reflection of longer research project cycles.