Share your innovative solution and win a prize! The 2025 Build a Better Mousetrap competition is happening now. Share your shop innovations, process improvements, and safety successes for a chance to be a state, regional, or national winner.
Nominees are sorted into four categories:
- Innovative Project– Any solution that addresses any or all phase(s) of the ‘project’ life cycle – Planning, Design/Engineering, Construction, Operations and Maintenance. This project shall introduce new ideas, is locally relevant, original, and creative in thinking.
- Bold Steps– Any locally relevant high-risk project or process showing a break-through solution with demonstrated high-reward.
- Smart Transformation– A locally relevant significant change in any transportation activity or process that is SMART “Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound” in nature that results in improved efficiencies.
- Pioneer– A locally relevant product/tool that is among the first to solve a maintenance problem with a home-grown solution.
- recognized importance/ impact;
- originality;
- applicability to others;
- cost effectiveness;
- time savings;
- agency or community benefit;
- and the overall quality of the application.
FHWA shares a booklet each year with the nominees received from across the country in an annual booklet. Feel free to use these ideas in your own department.
Nebraska nominations are due May 16, 2025. If you need help completing the application, Megan or Linda will be happy to help.
More details at: https://www.ltap.unl.edu/neltap/Build_A_Better_Mousetrap.asp