NTRO International Technical Conference 2025

National Transport Research Awards & Gala

Connect with key industry decision-makers and celebrate industry excellence.

It’s not too late to secure your spot at the transport industry event of the year, held at the State Library Victoria, Conversation Corner. This event will hold transport leaders, including Sally Stannard, Jeroen Weimer, and Peter Woronzow, among many others!  

Tickets are on sale for only $295
Use our discount code ‘FLASH10’ for an additional 10% off all conference and gala purchases.

Women looking up into the distance with a holographic brain sitting over her.
8 May, 2025
Held at the State Library Victoria
Melbourne, Australia
A panoramic image of the State Library
Our Keynote Speaker

Sally Stannard

This is where our industry's finest gather to celebrate transport innovations and the visionaries behind them. We're honoured to announce that Sally Stannard, Director General of Department of Transport and Main Roads, will be presenting the prestigious awards this year!
 
Reserve your seat now as capacity is limited!

Keynote Sally Stannard
"

“This is a fabulous night and great to see recognition of the emerging stars in the transport sector.”

- Steve Crutchley, Suncorp Group

Meet our judges.

Excellence, innovation, and leadership

View the nominees

Open to industry professionals, researchers, and changemakers, these awards highlight ground-breaking achievements that drive progress and shape the future of transport. Nominations are open to those who have demonstrated outstanding contributions, with diverse categories designed to honour advancements across various areas of the industry.

Closed
13 December 2024
Awards Submission Close
December - January 2025
Judge Reviews
March 2025
Finalists Announced
8 May 2025
Awards Night Gala Dinner (winners announced)
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Ali Aleagha
Project
Northern Rivers Pavement Testing & Data Collection
Company / companies
Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC)
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Australian Army (LTCOL Rachael Ayoub)
Project
Autonomous Leader Follower Trucks for Logistics Resupply
Company / companies
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Bundaberg Regional Council
Project
Network Safety Plan for Bundaberg Regional Council
Company / companies
Connecting Communities Award
Award Nominee
City of Ballarat and Movement & Place Consulting
Project
Ballarat Footpath Construction Strategy
Company / companies
Connecting Communities Award
Award Nominee
David Fulton
Project
Network Safety Plan for Bundaberg Regional Council
Company / companies
Senior Engineer - Infrastructure Planning, Bundaberg Regional Council
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Department of Transport WA
Project
Testing of small to medium rural airports with FWD and iPAVe for DoT MRWA.
Company / companies
Research Rising Star Award
Award Nominee
Dr. Thanh Vinh Le
Project
Company / companies
Monash University
Research Rising Star Award
Award Nominee
Evelyn Wen
Project
Company / companies
NZTA
Connecting Communities Award
Award Nominee
Integrated Connected Data for Safe and Efficient Traffic Management Operations
Project
Company / companies
University of Melbourne, ITS Australia, iMOVE Australia, Transport for NSW, Department of Transport Victoria, Transport & Main Roads QLD, Main Roads Western Australia, Transport Accident Commission, Compass IoT, See.sense
Research Rising Star Award
Award Nominee
Jaymes Victoria
Project
Company / companies
NTRO
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Kingdom of Tonga (Ministry of Infrastructure) & NTRO
Project
Kingdom of Tonga / NTRO Strategic Transport Infrastructure Advisory Program (STIAP)
Company / companies
Lifetime Contribution Award
Award Nominee
Kym Neaylon
Project
Company / companies
Decarbonised Infrastructure Award
Award Nominee
NTRO and the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads
Project
National Asset Centre of Excellence (NACOE)
Company / companies
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
National Level Crossing Safety Committee and Project Management Office
Project
Vision Zero - a journey to improved safety and resilience around level crossings in ANZ
Company / companies
Lifetime Contribution Award
Award Nominee
Neil Doyle
Project
Company / companies
LM Consultancies Pty Ltd
Connecting Communities Award
Award Nominee
Prue Oswin
Project
Using Connected Vehicle data to create safer routes to school
Company / companies
Director/Senior Active Transport Engineer at Sidelines Traffic
Research Rising Star Award
Award Nominee
Qiqin (Leo) Yu
Project
Company / companies
Monash University
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR)
Project
Improved Resilience of the State Controlled Road Network
Company / companies
Connecting Communities Award
Award Nominee
Sandy Fong (he/his/Mr)
Project
NZTA Research Report 733 Methods of measuring mode share and mode shift at different spatial scales and timescales
Company / companies
Principal Advisor, Sector Research and Behavioural Science, NZTA
Research Rising Star Award
Award Nominee
Suthakaran Sivagnanasuntharam
Project
Company / companies
NTRO
Connecting Communities Award
Award Nominee
Tasmanian Government, Department of State Growth
Project
C-ITS Trial - Safety for vulnerable road users around school zones
Company / companies
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Tatiana Sanchez Castano, Torill Pape & June Lense
Project
NACOE Structures Research Program
Company / companies
NTRO & Department of Transport and Main Roads Queensland
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Transport for NSW
Project
NSW Road Network Risk Assessment and Analysis
Company / companies
Lifetime Contribution Award
Award Nominee
Tyrone Toole
Project
Company / companies
NTRO
Transport Resilience Award
Award Nominee
Ventia
Project
Over-height Vehicle Detection (OHVD) Innovation at Sydney Harbour Tunnel
Company / companies
Decarbonised Infrastructure Award
Award Nominee
Ventia
Project
M4 Eastbound Crumb Rubber Open Graded Asphalt Pilot Project
Company / companies
Research Rising Star Award
Award Nominee
Yeong Jia Boom
Project
Company / companies
Ghd Pty Ltd
Speaker addressing the audience at the 2023 National Transport Research Awards night.

Transport Resilience Award

Can be awarded to:
Individuals
Organisations
Open to Public, Private and Academic sector entities.

Recognises an individual, an organisation, or group of organisations working collaboratively to improve transport infrastructure or operations resilience, ensuring continuity and safety in operations amidst challenges from natural and other causes.

The project or initiative must have had some - albeit minor - implementation beyond theory or design.

Guests at the 2023 National Transport Research Awards night, having dinner, talking and laughing.

Decarbonised Infrastructure Award

Can be awarded to:
Individuals
Organisations
Open to Public, Private and Academic sector entities.

Recognises an individual, an organisation, or group of organisations working collaboratively to reduce the carbon footprint of road, rail, airport or port transport infrastructure in Australia, New Zealand or Oceania through innovative design, materials or technologies.

The project or initiative must have had some - albeit minor - implementation beyond theory or design.

2023 National Transport Research Awards winner receiving their award.

Connecting Communities Award

Can be awarded to:
Individuals
Organisations
Open to Public, Private and Academic sector entities.

Recognises an individual, an organisation, or group of organisations working collaboratively, to enhance community connectivity through innovative transport solutions, and interfaces between transport modes and surrounding places or precincts in Australia, New Zealand or Oceania.

The project or initiative must have had some - albeit minor - implementation beyond theory or design.

Guests seated at tables during the NTRO Gala Dinner and National Transport Research Awards ceremony, with two presenters on stage under a spotlight and a large screen displaying the event title behind them.

Leading For Change

Can be awarded to:
Individuals
Organisations
Open to Public, Private and Academic sector entities.

This is an occasional award to recognise outstanding leadership in the public, private or academic sectors which has led to the creation of an enabling environment for sustained innovation.

The nominee will be a leader in any level of government, in private enterprise or in an Australian research institution, including universities and TAFEs. Over an extended period of their career, they will have had and taken the opportunity to direct, or cause the direction, of financial and other resources to be used for research- and science-led transportation innovations which are demonstrably beneficial to the community at large.

The call for nominations is perpetual, and nominations are to be made via NTRO’s website. The nomination is in the form of a monograph not exceeding 3,500 words, written in Microsoft Word.

Successful nominees and their nominator will be advised by NTRO’s CEO of a successful outcome immediately after the outcome is known. Presentation of the commemorative plaque will be made at the NTRO Gala Dinner and Awards.

Major criteria for evaluation are:

  • The extent, quality and innovation levels of their efforts in creating an enabling environment for sustained innovation.
  • The measured or estimated benefits – financial and otherwise – of works conducted within that enabling environment.
  • The personal commitment they have shown – overcoming scepticism, taking considered risks, wearing out shoe leather - to bring their vision to life.

2023 Winners of the National Transport Research Awards, Research Rising Star Award, receiving their award.

Research Rising Star Award

Can be awarded to:
Individuals
Organisations
Open to Public, Private and Academic sector entities.

Training of researchers is essential to ensure sustainability of our problem-solving capabilities. Because transportation has so many touchpoints with society, we need to be training experts in a broad range of disciplines – including but not limited to engineering, science, design, business, economics and the humanities.

This award is made to an Australia, New Zealand or Oceania-based researcher under 35 years of age, who has made significant progress in tackling a transportation-related problem in the previous 12 months as part of their research activities. Nominees must be able to identify – when they are part of a research team – their specific contribution in the progress made.

Nominees must be under 35 years of age on 31 December 2024. Nominees can self-nominate.

Long tables lining an event space at the 2023 National Transport Research Awards night.

Lifetime Contribution Award

Can be awarded to:
Individuals
Organisations
Open to Public, Private and Academic sector entities.

This award is presented in recognition of an individual’s outstanding leadership and contribution to the Australian, New Zealand or Oceania land transportation sector over 25 years or more, based on an enduring track record of research, development and implementation activities.

This award recognises an individual who has:

  • An established history of rigorous first principles and applied research
  • A track record of creating implementable outcomes from their research
  • Undertaken extensive knowledge transfer, training and education activities related to their work
  • A track record of developing and mentoring younger professionals in their field

In doing all of the above this nominee has:

  • Made a lasting and distinguished contribution to industry practice
  • Exhibited leadership and provided inspiration to others in the industry
  • Been a strong ambassador for Australasia in international circles

As such, they are stand-out inspirational figures for current and next generation research and development professionals.

Support the best in the business

Become a Gala Partner.

Designed to maximise your impact, our partnership packages provide targeted branding, speaking opportunities, and direct engagement with industry leaders. Whether you seek premium visibility, networking access, or thought leadership positioning, our flexible options ensure your organisation stands out in a dynamic and influential setting.

An attendee enjoying the Gala
3 Day Conference Access
Sold Out
30 January 2025
On sale soon
Now on sale!
$1,165
Early Bird
Sold Out
Date
On sale soon
Now on sale!
$1,295
First Release
Sold Out
Date
On sale soon
Now on sale!
$1,554
Second Release
NTRA & Gala Tickets.
Sold Out
Date
On sale soon
Now on sale!
$295
Early Bird