The Under Secretary for Policy serves as a principal advisor to the Secretary and provides leadership in the development of policies for the Department, generating proposals and providing advice regarding legislative and regulatory initiatives across all modes of transportation.
The MPDG opportunity consists of three grant programs: the National Infrastructure Project Assistance grants program (Mega), the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects grants program (INFRA), and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant program (Rural). These grants are competitively awarded for significant surface transportation infrastructure projects across various modes including highway, bridge, rail, public transportation, and freight, among others. The overarching goals are to support projects of national or regional significance, improve or expand infrastructure in rural areas, and align with strategic goals such as enhancing safety, economic strength, equity, and environmental sustainability. Funding is designated based on project cost, with specific allocations for projects above and below the $500 million mark.