Advisory Council

The Advisory Council consists of the Governing Board and a broad cross-section of industry representatives, regulators, and academic researchers.  This group provides strategic input and feedback on the Center’s research agenda.  The Advisory Council meets with the Center staff at least twice a year.  Council members also suggest new research topics and assist with the acquisition of databases. A Research Committee of the FSRP Advisory Council is charged with reviewing the Center’s research agenda and assisting the Director in setting priorities for projects.  All projects undergo review by the Research Committee and full Advisory Council as they develop.  Articles and reports produced by FSRP receive the benefits of comments from both academic experts and industry practitioners.  On the Research Committee sit a distinguished group of a dozen or more academic researchers, mostly from universities across the country.  By volunteering their time and expertise, they help to ensure that Center projects are methodologically sound and the project conclusions are supported by empirical evidence.  This rigorous system of review and oversight of research activities by professional peers from many institutions helps to ensure that the Center’s research product meets high academic standards.  It also serves as a “firewall” between the Center’s reliance on corporate funding and the conclusions of its policy-oriented research.  Further evidence of the quality of the Center’s output is the placement of many articles and monographs in refereed academic journals and volumes.