Today, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau announced the re-chartering of its Academic Research Council
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/22/2019-05453/renewal-of-academic-research-council
The ARC will (1) provide the Bureau with advice about its strategic research planning process and research agenda, including views on the research that the Bureau should conduct relating to consumer financial products or services, consumer behavior, cost-benefit analysis, or other topics to enable the agency to further its statutory purposes and objectives; and, (2) provide the Office of Research with technical advice and feedback on research methodologies, data collection strategies, and methods of analysis, including methodologies and strategies for quantifying the costs and benefits of regulatory actions, and provide the Bureau's Office of Research with advice and feedback on research methodologies, framing research questions, data collection, and analytic strategies.
CFPB also invites applications for membership on the ARC
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/03/22/2019-05506/advisory-committees-solicitation-of-applications-for-membership
Pursuant to section 12 of the Academic Research Council Charter, in appointing members to the committee the Director shall seek to assemble members who are economic experts and academics with diverse points of view; such as experienced economists with a strong research and publishing background, and a record of involvement in research and public policy, including public or academic service. Additionally, members should be prominent experts who are recognized for their professional achievements and rigorous economic analysis including those specializing in household finance, finance, financial education, labor economics, industrial organization, public economics, and law and economics; and experts from related social sciences related to the Bureau's mission. In particular, the Director will seek to identify academics with strong methodological and technical expertise in structural or reduced form econometrics; modeling of consumer decision-making; survey and random controlled trial methods; benefit cost analysis, welfare economics and program evaluation; or marketing.
The application will be available on March 22, 2019 here:
https://consumer-financial-protection-bureau.forms.fm/application-to-serve-on-advisory-board-body-panel-committee-or-group. Complete application packets received on or before May 5, 2019, will be given consideration for membership on the committees.
