Service on federal agency advisory boards or committees

All State University System faculty and administrators are encouraged to consider and apply for service on federal agency advisory boards or committees. 
As we all seek ways to articulate our competitive advantage in this increasingly competitive federal funding environment, such service may help us to be successful in the grant application process. 

Serving on these boards can provide members with valuable knowledge and insight about an agency’s culture and inner workings, and exposure to agency leaders and decision makers.  
In addition to providing a great service to the federal funding agency as well as to the community of researcher and scholars, reviewers benefit from reviewing and serving on panels. The benefits of serving as a panel member or peer reviewer are many; here are just a few highlighted examples:

• gain first-hand knowledge of the peer review process;
• learn about common problems with proposals;
• discover strategies to write strong proposals;
• develop synergies with colleagues in your field; and
• build a rapport with program officers/directors who are managing programs related to your interests.

The Federal Interagency Databases Online makes available a list of Federal Advisory Committee Act Committees arranged by agency. This database also provides important information about the committees, including their decision makers and general information.

http://fido.gov/facadatabase/AgenciesList.asp