National interest in transportation research is increasing. The advancement of u.S. Transportation technology and expertise is one of the six major themes of the u.S. Department of transportation policy plan published in february 1990. Research is cited as a strategy for maintaining a competitive economy and for meeting social goals. This belief is becoming widespread at the state level also, as transportation problems such as traffic congestion become more critical. However, there are challenges in developing transportation research programs to meet these needs. First, transportation is a broad fieldwith many constituencies; there is disagreement over what type of research is most urgent. Second, consensus on the value and purpose of research is often lacking, particularly regarding the differences over basic versus applied research. These two challenges to developing transportation research programs are serious, at times causing disunity among parties who should have common interests. In minnesota, the university of minnesota center for transportation studies has worked to develop a balanced transportation research program through a strategic planning process that is highly participatory. In this paper, the processes used are described, results are evaluated, and plans for the future are presented. Conclusions from the minnesota experience that could be applied in the development of a national transportation research program are also presented. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1305, Finance, planning, programming, economic analysis, and land development 1991.
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