Functional Area Committees (FACs) meet annually, typically in the fourth quarter, to discuss and prioritize all submitted Problem Statements. The Project Portfolio Manager represents the research division during the meetings. As a result, RTI reviews and presents a subset of the prioritized list to the Research Oversight Committee for further vetting and prioritizing. The FAC is supported by non-voting members familiar with current and previous TxDOT and national research projects and other related topic areas. While most Problem Statements are left unchanged, some are modified, and some are combined to better meet the needs of TxDOT.

The FAC assists with identifying sponsors and subject matter experts for each approved Problem Statement.

Committee voting membership is comprised of representatives of TxDOT Divisions and Districts drawn from high-level technical and managerial staff appointed by the DD Directors.

Committee non-voting membership is comprised of personnel from the local FHWA Division, Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), and State University researchers who volunteer in reviewing, promoting and offering expert opinion of the Problem Statements.

The committees focus on these five areas: