Research Advisory Board Charter
BACKGROUND
The NTRCI has been designated a University Transportation Center under Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) with funding provided through the USDOT’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) to perform transportation related research, education, and technology transfer activities at an estimated value of $8 million to be funded at $1.9 million per year for four years starting on or about October 1, 2006. Mr Joe Petrolino, President and CEO of NTRCI has been designated as the Center Director. Each Center must plan and conduct activities that further the mission and goals of the UTC Program which is to provide USDOT with research focused on addressing USDOT problem areas. The NTRCI UTC theme is Heavy Vehicle Safety, Efficiency and Security. Under the terms of the UTC program, the NTRCI must establish via a multi-year Strategic Plan approved by RITA, a process for soliciting, evaluating, and selecting research projects to be funded by the grant, and for managing and administering the selected projects to completion. The NTRCI UTC has established a “Research Advisory Committee” (hereinafter referred to as the “NTRCI RAC” or the “RAC”) to assist in meeting this requirement.
MISSION
The mission of the NTRCI RAC is to advise and assist the Center Director in his role of providing oversight for all UTC funded research projects. While it is the Center Director’s responsibility to actively manage all research projects the RAC will assist in the selection of projects and provide periodic review of progress on selected projects and ensure that they meet the goals outlined in the NTRCI UTC Strategic Plan.
COMPOSITION
The NTRCI RAC will be comprised of a minimum of 5 members, not to exceed a total of 7 members. The Center Director will be a member of the RAC. An individual from the USDOT must be a member of the RAC. The remaining members will be peers and other experts in the transportation field to be selected by the NTRCI Board of Directors from among both its directors and members of the public and private transportation industry. One of the members will be selected to act as chairperson. Each member will serve a minimum of one year and a maximum of 3 years, with membership terms staggered to allow for continuity and consistency in its operation.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The NTRCI RAC shall review and evaluate the abstract proposals submitted in response to the initial Request for Proposals, and recommend to the Center Director those to be submitted as formal and complete proposals. Selected proposals should meet or exceed the following criteria:
- Research must fall within the parameters of the NTRCI theme of “Heavy Vehicle Safety, Efficiency, and Security”.
- Research must address the strategic goals of the US DOT.
- Research must address practical applications to solve US DOT problems.
In other words it must not be research for research purposes but must pass the “so what” test. Research will get priority consideration that also does the following:
- Includes students as part of the research process
- Includes more than one of the founding research partners
- Includes partnerships with, and cost share from private industry
- Continues research started under other USDOT programs and projects
On a periodic basis at the request of the Center Director but not more often than quarterly review and the RAC will evaluate the progress of each of the projects selected for funding during the course of its period of performance to ensure adequate progress is being made, review and provide comments on draft and final project reports and be alert to and promote opportunities for technology transfer of the research being conducted under this grant. The RAC may make recommendations to the Center Director for new and additional research projects to be funded in future grant years.