Hello TRB AED20 (formerly ABJ30) committee members and friends-

I hope everyone is staying healthy, safe, and sane throughout this pandemic.

As we discussed at the midyear meeting, there is still some uncertainty about whether the TRB Annual Meeting will take place in person, virtually, or as some sort of hybrid model.  One thing is certain, though:  the TRB paper submission deadline remains on August 1 and we need to plan for paper reviews.  Once papers are submitted, papers will be assigned to committees by TRB and then the committees will assign the papers to the reviewers.  The paper review period is August 15 – September 15.  We must complete the entire process  by mid-September, with review results and final session details input into the TRB system before October 1. 

Given the unusual circumstances, it is hard to determine whether we will see an increased or decreased paper load.  In prior years, members received 4-5 papers to review from this committee and friends were asked to review 1-2 papers (but if you’d like to review more, we’re happy to assign more to you!).  You may receive additional reviews from different committees – we don’t have a way of coordinating assignments across committees. Review loads may differ this year depending on what gets submitted.

As a “high volume” committee (i.e., we receive more than 100 papers to review each year), your assistance in reviewing papers is a critical element as each paper needs multiple reviewers with a diversity of experience to ensure well-rounded reviews.  To help us connect reviewers with papers, please complete this very short survey by Wednesday July 29:  https://virginia.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HZfyx9U3MDJOPb

Early completion of the survey will be very helpful for us!