NCMM launches the 2021 Community Mobility Design Challenge

On May 17, the National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM) launched the 2021 Community Mobility Design Challenge. As a leading technical assistance center for transportation, NCMM’s mission is to foster partnerships between transportation and community organizations in order to better serve marginalized communities. 

By issuing the Community Mobility Design Challenge, NCMM asks applicants to “seek innovative ways to address the personal well-being of community members that face transportation barriers to healthcare access, economic opportunity, healthy food, or community and peer support opportunities.” 

Applicants are encouraged not to submit a proposal with pre-supposed solutions. Instead, NCMM asks applicants for a “clear, well-researched understanding of the needs in their community.” NCMM will then guide applicants through a human-centered design process through which they can apply for subsequent rounds of funding to cover additional research and pilot phases. 

In order to apply for the challenge, you’ll need to take the following steps:

1. Select a challenge area and develop a focus question. Challenge areas are listed below. A focus question should succinctly outline the specific opportunity the applicant is looking to address within the chosen challenge area. 
   • Improve access to economic opportunity (e.g., training, education, jobs)
   • Improve access to health care–related destinations
   • Improve access to community and peer support opportunities (e.g., substance use peer recovery groups, behavioral health peer groups)
   • Help address other social determinants of health
2. Choose a specific target population of community members who face transportation barriers in advancing their personal well-being due to income status, minority status, location, a pre-existing condition, or other reasons.
3. Assemble a team that includes a transportation professional, at least two customers from a target population, and at least two members of a community-based organization. Additional team members can include local advocates, elected officials, case management services, and technology sector representatives. 
4. Identify research areas and conduct initial research.
5. Attend a pre-application webinar. 

The full application details are available here. If you’re interested in applying for the challenge, please let us know! We’d love to partner with your organization to both apply and participate in the challenge itself. 

With Remix’s planning tools, we can help conduct the research needed to identify and explore transportation gaps in your community — a key piece of the application. Please reach out to partnerships@ridewithvia.com to get started. The webinar for potential applicants will be held on May 27, 2021 at 1pm ET, and applications are due on July 12th.  

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