The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is accepting applications for the third year of its Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program.

In the first two rounds of SMART Grants, USDOT selected 93 projects in 39 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, totaling $148 million.

Through this SMART Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), USDOT will accept applications for Stage 1 Planning and Prototyping grants. During Stage 1, the SMART program will fund technology demonstrations and prototypes that solve real-world transportation problems and build data and technology capacity for State, local, and Tribal governments. Later this year, recipients of Stage 1 grants will be eligible to expand their projects through the first of several Stage 2 grant opportunities.

The funding opportunity is open to public sector entities seeking to carry out transportation projects that demonstrate at least one of the following technology areas:

■ Coordinated automation

■ Connected vehicles

■ Sensors

■ Systems integration

■ Delivery/logistics

■ Innovative aviation

■ Smart grid

■ Traffic signals

Successful projects will create sustainable partnerships across sectors and levels of government, engaging industry, labor, academia, and nonprofits to better meet community transportation needs.