Grants Review Panelists

We’re seeking applications from people who are interested in serving on panels that review our grant proposals.

TCDD’s mission is to create change so that all people with disabilities are fully included in their communities and exercise control over their own lives. To achieve this mission, TCDD provides grant funding for projects throughout Texas. Projects that receive TCDD funding are designed to build community capacity, promote self-advocacy, pilot innovative ideas, or demonstrate a promising practice that can be replicated at a broader scale. While TCDD-funded projects can focus locally, regionally, or statewide, all projects support our mission to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Texas.

When TCDD makes grant funding available, we issue a Request for Applications (RFA). An independent grant review panel reviews qualified proposals. Members of the review panel evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of proposals, participate in a group review meeting, and ultimately develop funding recommendations for the Council.

Grant review panels generally consist of three to five people. This may include:

• people with disabilities or family members of people with disabilities;
• professionals in the disability field; and
• others who have expertise around a certain topic.
    

We strive to assemble grant review panels that are as diverse as possible so that multiple points of view are considered in the discussion. People who have experience in reviewing documents are a plus.

Grant review panels usually review between five and 15 proposals. Panel members independently review and use a review guide to make notes about the strengths and weaknesses of each proposal. Then, panel members meet in a teleconference to discuss proposals and develop recommendations for the Council. Grant review panel members receive payment for reviewing proposals, participating in meetings, and travel and per diem, if necessary.

For more information about this opportunity, please see the next section of this page to review the job description. If you’re interested in sharing your expertise and serving on a grant review panel, please use the Review Panel Application to apply. If you’re selected, we’ll add your information to our database of qualified people and contact you on a future date. While not every person in the database will serve on a grant review panel, we maintain the database to ensure each panel is as diverse as possible.

Grant Review Panel Member

Job Description

TCDD maintains a database of people who are interested in reviewing and evaluating grant proposals for the Council. Inclusion in the database does not ensure that you will be asked to serve on a panel, but panel members are typically selected only from those people in the database. To have your name added to the database, you must submit a Review Panel Application. Visit Review Panel Application to apply.

Responsibilities 

• Complete independent reviews and make notes about the strengths and weaknesses of grant proposals
• Score proposals using a provided review guide
• Meet with other review panel members to discuss proposals and develop recommendations
• Abide by TCDD’s non-disclosure and conflict-of-interest regulations

Employment Status

Contractor, on an as-needed basis

Compensation

• $40 for each proposal reviewed independently
• $75 for a half-day meeting or $150 for a full-day meeting
• Travel and per diem if necessary to participate in the meeting

Skills, Experience, and Education

Each review panel consists of three to five individuals who, as a group, have the skills and experience needed to evaluate proposals received in response to a specific RFA. This may include people who have disabilities or have family members with disabilities; professionals in the disability field; and others who have expertise around a certain topic but may not have as much familiarity with disability issues. TCDD strives to develop review panels that are as diverse as possible so that multiple points of view are considered in the discussion. TCDD requires that all review panel members must be their own guardians and, with reasonable accommodations, be able to:

• understand and accept TCDD’s mission to create change so that all people with disabilities are fully included in their communities and exercise control over their own lives;
• review and understand the proposals and the RFAs;
• identify and communicate the strengths and weaknesses of proposals; and
• work cooperatively in a group to reach a consensus.   
     

If a grant panel reviewer is a parent or child of a board member or management staff member of an organization, then the reviewer may not review proposals submitted by that organization.

Residence Location

Texas

Education

No minimum 

Qualified individuals must be 18 or older. They must have personal or professional experience with disability issues, specific knowledge of the best practices in Council grant activities, or the ability to represent groups of people who are underrepresented in Council activities. TCDD issues RFAs to initiate new grant projects and uses independent review panels in the selection process. The Council seeks reviewers with a wide range of expertise so that panels can be developed as needed for each RFA. Reviewers review and evaluate proposals, participate in a group review panel meeting, and develop funding recommendations to the Council. If you’re interested in applying to be a grant review panel member, please complete a Review Panel Application.