Hazardous Materials: 2026 Hazardous Materials Safety Research, Development, and Technology Forum

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) Office of Hazardous Materials Safety (OHMS) will host a public Research, Development, & Technology Forum (Forum) from March 31-April 2, 2026, in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. More details, to include the location, will be posted on the PHMSA website at the link provided below. The Forum will provide an opportunity for PHMSA-funded research projects to present the results of recently completed or ongoing projects. OHMS will discuss upcoming hazardous materials transportation research project plans and obtain stakeholder input on the direction of OHMS's current and future research projects. Potential topics include: <bullet> Efficient Safety Standards <bullet> Risk Reduction for Emergency Response <bullet> Safe Energy Storage Technologies <bullet> Innovative Packaging During the Forum, OHMS will host subject matter experts to discuss a variety of topics affecting the hazardous materials transportation industry. Additionally, OHMS will solicit input and feedback related to potential research topics that may be considered for future work and gather and review research need statements from industry, academia, and other stakeholders. The Forum actively will encourage the identification of critical research gaps in hazardous materials transportation to ensure the transportation community's evolving needs are addressed while advancing the U.S. Department of Transportation's strategic priorities--Safety, Infrastructure Investment, Innovation, and System Efficiency.