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Transportation Research Board: Airport Cooperative Research Program Dissemination Support

How Cadmus is helping to increase airport practitioners’ awareness of industry research and resources.

The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) is an applied research program that develops near-term practical solutions to problems faced by airport operators and their stakeholders. The program is managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies and sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). ACRP undertakes research and other technical activities across a diverse set of industry disciplines, including airport design, construction, maintenance, operations, safety, security, policy, planning, human resources, and administration.

Challenge

Since 2005, ACRP has generated hundreds of research reports, legal digests, and synthesis studies. ACRP needed a focused dissemination strategy in order to increase airport practitioners’ awareness of the available research products and to increase the implementation of research results at airports. This will help airports enhance their operational performance, improve safety, and augment their environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. The Cadmus team has been supporting these efforts by providing ACRP with specific dissemination activity implementation and strategic communications, marketing, and outreach support.

ACRP eVideo
Still from an ACRP eVideo

Solution

The Cadmus team has both expanded upon existing ACRP dissemination initiatives and created innovative new methods of dissemination. We have assumed operation of existing activities, such as the Speakers Bureau, Impacts on Practice publications, and ACRP staff presentations and exhibitions. Our team has also developed, launched, and administered several new dissemination activities, including:

  • An ACRP Ambassador program composed of industry veterans who volunteer their time to represent ACRP at industry events
  • ACRP eVideos that show how to get involved with ACRP, articulate the value of ACRP research, instruct practitioners on Problem Statement development, and define the ACRP research cycle
  • A dedicated ACRP webinar series

The project team’s efforts encompass high-level planning and dissemination strategy advice, through to technical writing, graphic design, conference planning, and audiovisual services.

Results

Through the course of Cadmus’ focused dissemination support, the project team, ACRP staff, and other ACRP representatives have:

ACRP Impacts on Practice
ACRP Impacts on Practice
  • Engaged in person with approximately 6,000 airport practitioners through the Ambassador program over the first two years of the program’s existence.
  • Presented to approximately 4,000 airport practitioners over the course of two annual webinar series.
  • Supported the development of an online practitioner-resource portal.
  • Developed four eVideos for ACRP’s website.
  • Developed six Impacts on practice sheets (examples shown at right) describing how airports are benefiting from ACRP research.
  • Raised awareness of ACRP with key stakeholders, including FAA, Airports Council International – North America (ACI-NA), American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), Airport Consultants Council (ACC), National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), and Airlines for America (A4A)

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