• Announcing the 2014 Vanguard Class
• Next City’s 40 Under 40 Vanguard Conference: Applications due February 14
• Next City’s Vanguard Conference Heads to Chattanooga in 2014
• Vanguard Update: Our Largest Pool of Applicants Ever
• Foot soldiers for change: 40 young leaders from across the country to gather in Chattanooga

Please join us for Session 651, The Six-Minute Pitch: Transportation Start-up Challenge

Tuesday, January 14, 2014 3:45PM – 5:30PM, Marriott Salon 3

Sponsored by the TRB Young Members Counci

In this exciting session, young professionals pitch their ideas for the “next big thing” to a panel of successful transportation industry entrepreneurs and investors in just 6 min or less. Following each pitch, the panel will provide immediate feedback on the market potential, business model, and the incorporation of innovative technologies or techniques and the latest research in the pitch. An honorary winner will be declared at the end of this fast-paced, interactive session.

The Transportation Research Board Young Member’s Council will once again be holding the Six Minute Pitch: Transportation Startup Challenge, during the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, January 12-16, 2014, in Washington, D.C. Please see the Call for Presenters (see below) for information on the judging panel and submitting an application to present!

At this session, selected presenters will have an opportunity to pitch their cutting-edge, research-based concepts for transportation product or service-based business to a panel of distinguished transportation industry investors and entrepreneurs in just six minutes. The evaluation panel will provide feedback to each presenter on the viability of the product or service presented in today’s transportation industry. An honorary ‘winner’ of the challenge will be declared at the close of the session. The inaugural January 2013 Six Minute Pitch session was one of the most well-attended sessions at the TRB Annual Meeting – with an attendance of more than 200. Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this one-of-a-kind TRB Annual Meeting session!

Who can submit an entry? Any professional with a transportation-related business idea or active startup, but preference will be given to young professionals (TRB defines ‘young’ as professionals 35 or younger). A preference will also be given to individuals who intend to register for TRB.

What are the submission requirements? Submit your application using this form. Applicants must also provide a current resume or CV (PDF or Microsoft Word) via email to sjohnson@foursquareitp.com. The submission via email of additional supporting materials, such as concept designs, web links, or existing presentations, is also encouraged. All applicants must describe how their product or service will bring research to commercial application. Presentations should include an interactive element, such as a presentation of a prototype or demonstration of software under development. The use of Prezi or PowerPoint is also permitted.

What topic areas will be covered? Transportation products and services in all modes of transportation. Business concepts that are oriented towards both the end consumer and those serving the transportation industry itself will be considered. Transportation planning and management consulting business ideas will not be accepted.

When are entries due? November 15, 2013 (accepted presenters will be notified in late November)

Questions? Contact sjohnson@foursquareitp.com.

The idea for MTP is inspired by the annual Jagriti Yatra (www.jagritiyatra.com) on the Indian Railways, a trip that circumnavigates the continent, is sponsored by Dell and Google, and is almost universally recognized by the younger generation of Indians as an enviable opportunity. MTP has already obtained sponsorships from National Geographic Traveler magazine, NPR, the Associated Press, McKinsey & Company, Opportunity Nation, and Start-Up America.

The EISENHOWER GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP (GRAD) provides funding for Students pursuing Master’s Degrees or Doctorates in transportation related fields. The program objectives are:

1. to attract the nation’s brightest minds to the field of transportation,
2. to enhance the careers of transportation professionals by encouraging them to seek advanced degrees, and
3. to retain top talent in the transportation industry of the United States.

The Program is intended to bring innovation and enhance the breadth and scope of knowledge of the entire transportation community in the United States. The Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship Program encompasses all modes of transportation.

DISCIPLINES

The Department of Transportation encourages students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to apply for the Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowships.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship Applicants must:

• Possess an earned baccalaureate degree or be a confirmed graduating senior;
• Be enrolled full time in an accredited U.S. institution of higher education no later than the Fall 2013 academic year
• Be pursuing a degree in a full-time program in a transportation-related discipline
• Have at least one full academic year remaining in program of study;
• Conduct ongoing research in one or more transportation-related disciplines; and
• Plan to enter the transportation profession after completing their higher level education.

Non-U.S. citizens must attach a certified copy of their I-20 or I-551 ID issued by the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Service (CIS).

SELECTION

Applications will be evaluated by the Eisenhower National Selection Panel. This National Selection Panel will be composed of prominent national transportation professionals, including academia and the public sector, who will review, rate and rank each applicant. The panel’s recommendations for selection will be forwarded to the Program Manager, Universities and Grants Programs. The Program Manager will make final selections.It is imperative that applicants provide an accurate and current email address for themselves and their faculty advisor. Applicants will be notified of their status via email.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

The Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship will be awarded on the basis of merit. Merit includes:

• Class standing, GPA, and official university transcripts; (25 Points)
• Potential for Outstanding Career in Transportation (Transportation work experience, if applicable); (25 Points)
• Proposed plan of study (25 Points)
• Letters of recommendation regarding the applicant’s qualifications; (20 Points)
• Overall quality of Application (5 Points)

STIPEND, TUITION AND TAXES

All recipients may not receive a full award (i.e. tuition, stipend, and travel to Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting). Recipient awards will be based on the rankings from the National Selection Panel. Recipients of this fellowship will receive a minimum of $5,000.00, based on their ranking from the National Selection Panel and the availability of funding.

Fellowship recipients should be advised that the stipend portion of the fellowship is subject to taxation in accordance with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations (Publication 970, revised 2011).

The stipends for the Eisenhower Graduate Fellowship are as follows:

• Master’s Level – $1,700/mo.
• Doctoral Level – $2,000/mo.

Note: Actual Stipend level may vary based upon available funding. Stipends are capped at $1,700 for Masters students and $2,000 a month for Doctoral students from Eisenhower funding. Additional stipend amounts may be added by the University or other sources.

SCHEDULE

All applications and supporting material (official transcripts and letters of recommendation) for Eisenhower Graduate Transportation Fellowship must be received by 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 1, 2013.Applications should be sent to the address in the section entitled “How to Apply”.

Click here to learn more about the details and for applying instructions.

Related articles

• Eisenhower Transportation Fellowships for Graduate Students (deadline April 1)

Sponsored by ITS America and the Southwest Research institute, the Student Essay Competition is designed each year to encourage student interest and future participation in the development of Intelligent Transportation Systems and solutions. The objective of the essay competition is to provide an opportunity for today’s transportation and engineering students to apply their knowledge in a thought-provoking and enjoyable competition and to build awareness of ITS as a career path with unlimited potential.

Students are asked to submit a 2,000-word essay on any one of the following topics:

• “Next Generation Cooperative Systems, how will they evolve?,” “How is ITS evolving?,” and
• “What are the technological barriers to near term realization of fully autonomous systems on U.S. highways?”

The first, second and third place winners will receive $1,500, $1,000 or $500 respectively. Additional recognition includes:

• The 1st place winner will be invited to attend the Awards ceremony at the ITS America Annual Meeting on Tuesday, April 23rd and be assisted financially to cover trip expenses.
• Receive a complimentary full registration to attend the conference.
• Have the opportunity to present their winning essay at the dedicated Interactive Session area in the exhibit hall.
• Have their winning essays displayed on the Student Essay Competition Web page of ITS America’s website.
• All three winners will be featured in nationally-distributed press releases.

Click here for the official for guidelines and application information.

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An interesting competition announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation encourages college students to design a better way to help consumers make smart decisions when booking their bus travel.  This is what you need to know about the challenge:

• Who: Creative college students with imaginative ideas.
• What: A mobile app or web-accessible tool that presents our safety information in a simple, intuitive way that would help the average person choose the safest bus available.
• When: January 31st, 2013

Here is an embed of the announcement, as seen on USDOT Sec. Ray LaHood’s blog.  Please share widely.

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