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TRB Committee List

Executive Committee
Technical Activities Division Committees
Studies and Information Services Committees
Cooperative Research Program Panels
Marine Board

"As a transit professional, I have found that there is no better way to keep up with ongoing changes in the state of the art and practice in transit than through active participation on TRB standing committees. Significant benefits have accrued to me and my agency through such participation and the resulting interchange of ideas and experiences with professionals from academe, private industry, and the public sector."

Thomas F. Larwin
General Manager
San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board

"Involvement in TRB committee activities offers an excellent opportunity to exchange information with one's peers, including the results of research that can help not only the individual, but also one's organization. Actively participating in TRB provides an outstanding opportunity to stay abreast of the rapidly changing dynamics of the tranportation field."

Ysela Llort
State Transportation Planner
Florida Department of Transportation

"Serving on TRB committees provides an opportunity to contribute to the advancement of the state of the art and the state of the practice in transportation research and policy. It has exposed me to a wide array of issues facing the transportation community. Participants have included practitioners (new and old), academics, and public officials. This broad representation gives transportation professionals a chance to contribute, to learn, to debate, and to display their passion for transportation."

Gloria Jeff
Deputy Administrator
Federal Highway Administration

"Get involved! TRB offers an excellent way to remain up to date and provides the opportunity to network with colleagues from universities, industry, and government. By serving as committee volunteers, graduate students and entering professionals contribute to the transportation profession while gaining valuable experience and contacts."

Lester A. Hoel
Hamilton Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Virginia

Getting Involved in TRB Committee Activities

An Invitation to Become Involved in TRB Committee Activities

TRB's standing committees provide an excellent opportunity for you to network with others in your field and stay current on emerging issues while contributing to the continuing evolution of transportation research and practice. Take a look at the resources below for information on the benefits to volunteers and their organizations, what standing committees do, and how to become involved. Feel free to contact the relevant TRB staff officer or committee chair if you have any questions (contact information is available in the list of standing committees).

Benefits to Volunteers and Their Organizations

TRB committee activities provide significant benefits to volunteers, to their employers, and to the transportation community. Committee friends and members network with their colleagues, receiving valuable and timely information about ongoing and recently completed research, new technologies, and current practice. They also establish professional relationships with individuals from other geographic areas and disciplines, broadening their knowledge and perspectives. These relationships often are maintained for years, providing opportunities to informally share experiences, discuss mutual problems, and obtain guidance.

An organization's support for an employee's participation in TRB committee activities is directly rewarded through early awareness of new research findings, as well as the opportunity to encourage research addressing problems faced by the employer. Transfer and implementation of new technologies in government agencies and industry frequently result from participation in TRB committee activities. Moreover, issues identified through committee activities often lead to initiatives that directly benefit transportation agencies. By supporting the volunteer work of their staff on behalf of TRB, employers are able to contribute to the broader transportation community by sharing information on their organizations' research results and practices.

What do Standing Committees Do?

TRB standing committees provide opportunities for transportation researchers and pratictioners to join together in the following activities.

Stimulating research by developing and publishing research problem statements, issuing calls for papers, submitting research problem statements to the NCHRP and TCRP, and defining and publishing critical issues and research needs.
Keeping the transportation community apprised of recent and ongoing research through sessions at TRB Annual Meetings, specialty conferences and workshops, committee meetings, informal networking, responses to requests for information, and referrals to other experts.
Synthesizing and disseminating research results through sponsorship of workshops and conferences, compilation of bibliographies, and publication of compendiums of research papers and state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice reports.
Reviewing and recommending research papers for publication by TRB and for TRB-sponsored awards.
Cosponsoring special activities and providing liaison with other transportation-oriented agencies in the United States and in other countries.
Encouraging participation in TRB by students and professionals entering the transportation field.

Committees use a variety of approaches in conducting their activities.

Committee meetings (held both at the TRB Annual Meeting each January and at midyear)
Dissemination of research findings and other information through publications of conference proceedings, research reports, manuals, newsletters, and directories in both print and electronic media, including CD-ROM, the Internet, audiotape, and videotape
Telecommunications, including e-mail, teleconferencing, committee Web sites, and bulletin boards
Expanded networks, including joint TRB committee activities, subcommittees, and committee "friends"
Training workshops and tutorials
Use of TRB's Transportation Research Information Services (TRIS) bibliographic database to conduct information searches

How to Become Involved

To participate as a volunteer in TRB committee activities, or learn more about the work of the standing committees:

Consult the list of TRB standing committees, including the scope statement and member list for each.
Contact a TRB staff representative to learn of current activities in which you may wish to participate.
Volunteer to serve as a reviewer of research papers, to work on a committee project, or to give a presentation or preside at a session of the annual meeting or a specialty conference.
Participate in committee meetings, which generally are open to anyone who wishes to attend. Introduce yourself to the chair and other committee members.
Express your interest in joining as a formal member of the commitee at the first opportunity. Each committee has a required turnover of one-third of its members every 3 years, and committee members may not continue for more than three consecutive 3-year terms if other individuals wish to join. As a result, opportunities occur at least every 3 years (more often for many committees).