Call for New Research Collaborations

Overview

ScooterLab, a community research testbed supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under awards #2234516 and #2234517, provides a programmable and participatory micromobility-supported sensing platform designed to advance research at the intersection of Computer and Information Science and Engineering and interdisciplinary domains such as urban planning, mobility analytics, privacy and security, environmental sensing, and smart city infrastructure.

With over 25+ sensor-equipped e-scooters already deployed across UT San Antonio campuses (and expanding up to 80 e-scooters by Summer 2026), ScooterLab serves as a unique open-access national research testbed for mobility-centric data collection, experimentation, and innovation.

Recognizing the immense potential of ScooterLab in gathering diverse scientific data, we are excited to launch this Call for New Research Collaborations. We invite researchers from academia, industry, and government to submit concise proposals for innovative research collaborations and partnerships that can tap into ScooterLab's infrastructure and data sensing capabilities.

Potential Areas of Interest

• Urban mobility and transportation planning
• Pedestrian and micromobility safety
• Environmental and sustainability studies
• Privacy and security in IoT-based micromobility platforms
• Data collection and analytics for urban infrastructure
• Sensor-based solutions for smart cities
• Customizable micromobility experiments
• Multi-modal transportation integration
• Crowdsourced urban micromobility sensing
• Impacts of micromobility on human health and well-being

Proposal Selection & Travel Awards

All proposals will be reviewed by the ScooterLab technical team. We anticipate inviting 4 top-rated proposals to participate in the ScooterLab Workshop scheduled for May 18, 2026 at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio). Research teams of selected proposals are expected to attend in person and present their ideas to workshop participants.

Selected proposals will receive up to a $1500 travel award covering domestic round-trip economy airfare, two nights of hotel accommodation, and complimentary workshop registration for one senior research team member.

Submission Guidelines

Submit your proposal through the online portal below.

• Project Title: Provide a clear and descriptive title.
• Project Team: List the entire team and affiliations, clearly identifying the PI.
• Research Objectives: Briefly describe the goals and expected outcomes.
• Proposed Use of the ScooterLab Platform: Explain how your research will leverage the testbed.
• Research Impact: Describe potential contributions to society and science.
• Technical Requirements: Outline specific technical, software, or hardware needs.
• Timeline: Provide key phases, milestones, and deliverables.
• Formatting: Maximum 3 pages (including references), submitted as a PDF.

Eligibility

• Each proposal should list a maximum of one Principal Investigator (PI).
• Eligible applicants include tenure-track/tenured faculty at U.S.-based academic institutions and full-time researchers in industry and government agencies.
• PhD students may participate as team members but may not serve as PIs.
• Each individual can serve as a PI on only one submission, with a maximum of three submissions per research team.
• Proposals from non-U.S. researchers are welcome but will not be eligible for travel awards.

What ScooterLab Offers

• A fleet of 25+ GPS-enabled e-scooters with advanced sensing capabilities.
• Environmental sensors, motion sensors, audio/video, and GPS location data.
• A web portal for experiment management, tracking, and advanced visualization tools.
• Technical support from the ScooterLab team to integrate testbed resources.

Read more: ScooterLab infrastructure.

Contact Us

For questions or assistance with your proposal, please contact our research collaboration coordinators.

Buddhi Ashan M.K.

Postdoctoral Researcher, ScooterLab UT San Antonio

buddhiashan.mallikakankanamalage@utsa.edu

Raveen Wijewickrama

Postdoctoral Researcher, ScooterLab UT San Antonio

raveen.wijewickrama@utsa.edu

Let us collaborate to build smarter, safer, and more sustainable urban futures with ScooterLab.