CR2C2 Fiscal Year 2026 Research and Education Exploratory Grants 

The Center for Regional and Rural Connected Communities (CR2C2) has earmarked $400,000 in FY 2026 to fund projects under its Research and Education Exploratory (REE) Grants program, subject to the approval of the Center's budget by the USDOT. The purpose of this program is to fund short-term projects that investigate emerging concepts and novel approaches for addressing transportation challenges in rural communities.

Researchers can now submit project ideas for the FY 2026 cycle of CR2C2’s REE Grants program. Submissions close on May 15, 2025. Proposed projects should last no more than one year. Funding requests should not exceed $50,000 – $75,000. If a research team is invited to submit a full proposal, they must demonstrate a 100% cost-share commitment in their proposal.

Any faculty member, researcher, or professional located at a CR2C2 member university can apply for a REE Grant (see restrictions below). Work completed under a REE Grant may lead to new, larger-scale projects conducted under one of CR2C2’s Major Research Initiatives (MRIs).

Guidelines and Requirements:

• CR2C2 encourages submissions involving collaborations among multiple universities.

• One or more project ideas can be submitted from each PI; however, no more than one idea per PI will be invited to submit a full proposal.

• A single person cannot lead more than two active projects (MRI or REE Grant) as the Principal Investigator (PI).

FY 2026 REE Grant Awards Timeline:

• May 15, 2025: Deadline for submitting research ideas

• July 15, 2025: CR2C2 notifies researchers invited to submit full proposals

• September 1, 2025: Deadline to submit full proposals

• October 15, 2025: Announcement of winning proposals

• January 1, 2026: Project start date

Submission Guidelines:
Idea write-ups should contain the following information:

1. Project title

2. Names, affiliations, phone numbers, and email addresses of the PI and all team members

3. Project duration

4. Anticipated funding request

5. Project summary (max 400 words): 

• Describe the problem(s) the project will address 

• Describe proposed methods/activities and anticipated outcomes

6. Indicate which CR2C2 MRI, or other CR2C2 objectives on EWD or T2C, the project aligns with

7. Up to five (5) keywords

Submit your application as a single Microsoft Word file (< 100 MB) via the Submission Form by May 15, 2025, at 11:59 PM.

Note: Proposals will NOT be accepted via email. Please submit via Google Form: https://forms.gle/4pZW9L9zZbFkTQUd9

For questions, contact:

• Doug Kreis, CR2C2 Research Director at dougkreis@uky.edu

• Selim Zoorob, Program Manager at srzoorob@ncat.edu

Evaluation Criteria:

Proposals should align with:

• CR2C2 objectives (MRIs, EWD, or T2C)

• CR2C2 Research Roadmap

• USDOT’s RD&T Strategic Plan

Evaluation will be based on:

• Relevance to CR2C2 objectives and USDOT RD&T Strategic Plan (40%)

• Potential for innovation and technical merit (50%)

• Potential for technology transfer and educational outreach (10%)

Research teams whose ideas score highly will be invited to submit a full proposal. Instructions for the full proposal, conduct of research, and other requirements will be provided at that time.