Closed · FR-RRD-25-002 · CFDA 20.313 · Discretionary

FY25 Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (Rail Safety IDEA)

Federal grant opportunity posted by DOT - Federal Railroad Administration, cataloged on Grants.gov.

up to $500K
Award range
Closed
Status
August 22, 2025
Close date
1
Expected awards

The verdict

FY25 Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (Rail Safety IDEA) is a closed discretionary listing from DOT - Federal Railroad Administration that offered Up to $500,000 across 1 expected award. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number.

up to $500K
award range
Closed
application status
1
expected award
20.313
CFDA program

Opportunity snapshot. This Grants.gov announcement - FY25 Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (Rail Safety IDEA) - is cataloged under number FR-RRD-25-002 and tied to CFDA assistance listing 20.313, posted by DOT - Federal Railroad Administration. Grants.gov currently shows the opportunity as closed, first posted on August 5, 2025. The funding category is Discretionary, delivered as a grant.

Award economics. The award range on file is Up to $500,000. The agency has projected $500,000 in total estimated funding for this announcement. It expects to issue 1 award. If the agency funds the expected 1 award from the $500,000 estimated pool, the average award works out to roughly $500,000. Cost sharing is not required, so applicants do not need to commit matching funds to be competitive on this opportunity. Federal award ranges are often upper bounds; actual allocations reflect program appropriations, the strength of the applicant pool, and the evaluation committee's scoring.

Deadline and action path. This opportunity closed on August 22, 2025. Future funding cycles may be published under the same CFDA number, so monitoring the parent program page is the most reliable way to catch re-announcements. Every Grants.gov submission requires an active SAM.gov registration and a Unique Entity ID. Review the Eligibility section below carefully, federal eligibility categories (nonprofit, state or local government, tribal, individual, educational institution, small business) have distinct registration and reporting requirements. Pre-application outreach to the listed agency contact is permitted and often welcomed, it helps clarify scope and scoring priorities. Before acting on the deadline or award figures above, verify them directly on the official Grants.gov listing, amendments can change dates and amounts after this page was last refreshed.

Award Range

Up to $500,000

Close Date

August 22, 2025

No Explanation

Posted

August 5, 2025

Est. Total Funding

$500,000

Expected Awards

1

Instrument

Grant

Description

Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) programs explore promising but unproven concepts with the potential to advance specific surface transportation systems. The Rail Safety IDEA program investigates innovative concepts and methods to improve safety and performance of railroads. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) endeavors to provide funding for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to continue to carry out the Rail Safety IDEA program. FRA funding for the Safety IDEA program has been provided since October 2002. FRA joined the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), as a joint sponsor of the Safety IDEA program. FMCSA has been funding the Safety IDEA program since the program started in October 2001. In 2013, the Rail Safety IDEA program has become completely independent and separate from the FMCSA; therefore, all projects funded by this Grant must be railroad related projects. The Rail Safety IDEA programs explore innovative concepts that are initiated and proposed by researchers, inventors, universities, or companies, both within and outside the usual transportation research community.

Eligibility

Grants.gov lists this opportunity under eligibility category code 25. These codes correspond to applicant types (state/local government, tribal organization, nonprofit, educational institution, individual, small business, etc.) defined in Grants.gov's own eligibility reference. See the current Grants.gov eligibility categories or check the official listing below for this opportunity's exact eligibility statement.

Official Listing on Grants.gov

View full details, application forms, and submission instructions.

View on Grants.gov

Agency Contact

GrantSolutions Help Desk Phone Number: 1.866.577.0771 or 202.401.5282 Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET

Key Dates

Posted August 5, 2025
Close Date August 22, 2025
Archive Date September 21, 2025
Last Updated August 5, 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this grant opportunity?
This is a federal funding opportunity titled "FY25 Rail Safety Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (Rail Safety IDEA)", offered by DOT - Federal Railroad Administration. It is associated with CFDA program 20.313. Innovations Deserving Exploratory Analysis (IDEA) programs explore promising but unproven concepts with the potential to advance specific surface transportation systems. The Rail Safety IDEA program i...
Is this opportunity still open?
No, this opportunity is closed. It closed on August 22, 2025. Check the parent program page for future funding cycles.
How much funding is available?
The award range for this opportunity is Up to $500,000. Total estimated funding: $500,000. Expected number of awards: 1.
How do I apply?
Applications for federal grant opportunities are typically submitted through Grants.gov. Visit the official listing at grants.gov for application instructions, required documents, and submission deadlines.

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from Grants.gov and SAM.gov and is for informational purposes only. Opportunity details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements change frequently. Always verify current information directly on Grants.gov before applying. PlainGrants is not affiliated with any federal agency.

Data sourced from the SAM.gov Assistance Listings and Grants.gov. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGrants