ARLINGTON, VA: Dr. Jean-Philippe P. Richard, Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study railroad operations.  The proposal, entitled “New Modeling and Solution Paradigms for Transportation Problems with Applications to Railroads,” was funded by the Service Enterprise Systems Program in the Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation in the Engineering Directorate of NSF.  According to the award’s abstract, “this research will result in an integrated modeling and solution paradigm that will provide faster solutions to larger transportation problems.”  Specifically, the aim is to apply the results on practical problems emanating from bulk delivery in railroads.  This proposal was motivated in part by Dr. Richard’s related work with CSX Transportation.  The grant provides funding of roughly $230,000 over three years.