The RJRF anticipates inviting one or more abstracts to be fully developed into position papers. Authors are in line for £6,000 if the trustees then receive a position paper deemed of acceptable quality.

User experience

The RJRF said:'The focus for this area is on what the road network could and/or should be like physically, operationally and in turn experientially for users in the future and on identifying the key factors/decisions that need to be addressed in the near term that will enable desirable outcomes to be achieved.'

Issues that could be considered include:

- Is the focus for the users of vehicles going to be about the future development of the inside of the vehicle rather than about the road and other users as more control is transferred to and between vehicles?

- What steps might to be taken to move from today’s open but congested higher risk road system, with freedom of access and control, to the more automated and improved environment projected for the future?

- How might roads change for those who are less able to access the benefit from current developments but need better accessibility and improved services?

- What mix of vehicle types for both passenger and goods movements in terms of ownership, size, power source and control might share future road space and with what consequences for user experience?

Governance 

The Trustees are interested in what changes (if any) might be made in how the nation’s road network is planned, managed, operated and funded.

Issues to be considered:

- Is there an evolutionary approach that might be adopted to the existing structures of governance or is it necessary for a radical change in governance to deliver an effective and efficient road transport and network?

- How might the road user be better served by those who make the decisions about planning and funding?

- Are the proposed changes to funding utilising VED in the Transport Investment Strategy the answer and what other options for funding may be available for meeting the ambitions for investment and improved service for the future?

Details of application

This is an open invitation to provide an extended abstract - maximum 1000 words - for producing a position paper (between 7000 and 10000 words) on either one or both of the topics identified above.

Authors are asked to provide a CV and information about their experience/interest in the transport sector.

If you are interested in providing an abstract to the Trustees, please send your contribution by Friday 9 February 2018 to the RJRF Secretary, Brian Murrell - brianmurrell@reesjeffreys.org. It is anticipated that those providing abstracts will be contacted with the Trustees’ response by the end of February. Authors invited to prepare a full position paper should be prepared to complete the work by the end of May 2018.

'RJRF reserves the right to draw upon the ideas in the submitted abstracts and any subsequent finished papers in any future work that it supports and makes available publicly. However, it will not unreasonably prevent the author(s) from using the content of any commissioned position papers for their own purposes such as in pursuing publication or incorporation into subsequent research activity.'

The RJRF is a charitable foundation that exists to provide financial support in the form of grants and bursaries for:

- Courses leading to qualifications related to traffic engineering and transport planning.

- Research projects relevant to one or more of the Fund’s objectives.

- Programmes or schemes to improve the highway network and the roadside environment.

The aim of the Trust is to promote and secure better and safer roads in terms of design, engineering and aesthetics including enhancements of the experience of road users.