Skip to main content
          Skip to FDA Search
          Skip to in this section menu
          Skip to footer links


U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government

					Here’s how you know
          			Dot gov**The .gov means it’s official.**Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.
							      SSL**The site is secure.** The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 
			U.S. Food and Drug Administration
				
        Search
            Menu
							
						Search FDA
									
									Submit search 
		Featured
							Contact FDA
	                FDA Guidance Documents
	                Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts
	                Press Announcements
	                Warning Letters
	                Advisory Committees
	                En Español

					Products
            Food
							Drugs
							Medical Devices
							Radiation-Emitting Products
							Vaccines, Blood, and Biologics
							Animal and Veterinary
							Cosmetics
							Tobacco ProductsTopics
            About FDA
							Combination Products
							Regulatory Information
							Safety
							Emergency Preparedness
							International Programs
							News and Events
							Training and Continuing Education
							Inspections and Compliance
							Science and ResearchInformation For
            Consumers
	            Patients
	            Industry
	            Health Professionals
	            Federal, State and Local Officials 
 In this section:

                Advisory Committee Membership

Advisory Committee Membership

                        Questions and Answers Regarding Advisory Committee Membership
          Consumer Representatives on FDA Advisory Committees
          Current Notices in the Federal Register for Advisory Committee Nominations


                        Advisory Committee Membership Types
          Advisory Committee Vacancies, Qualifications, and Experience
          Applying for Membership on FDA Advisory Committees Home
          Advisory Committees
          About Advisory Committees
          Advisory Committee Membership
          Questions and Answers Regarding Advisory Committee MembershipAdvisory Committee Membership Questions and Answers Regarding Advisory Committee Membership
  
  	
    Share
    Post
    Linkedin

    Email
    Print**What is an FDA Advisory Committee?**

Advisory committees provide FDA with independent advice from outside experts on issues related to human drugs, biological products, medical devices, and food. In general, advisory committees include a Chair, several members, plus a consumer, industry and sometimes a patient representative. Additional experts with special knowledge may be added for individual meetings as needed. Although the committees provide advice to the Agency, final decisions are made by FDA.

**How does an individual become a member of an FDA advisory committee?**

Nominations for scientific members, consumer, and industry representatives originate from professional societies, industry, consumer and patient advocacy groups, the individual himself or other interested persons.

**What are the qualifications of an advisory committee member?**

Persons nominated as scientific members must be technically qualified experts in their field (e.g., clinical medicine, engineering, biological and physical sciences, biostatistics, and food sciences) and have experience interpreting complex data. Candidates must be able to analyze detailed scientific data and understand its public health significance.

For example, persons nominated for the***Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Toxicology Devices Panel***in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health should be doctors of medicine or philosophy with experience in clinical chemistry, clinical toxicology, clinical pathology, clinical laboratory medicine, endocrinology, or oncology. Persons nominated for the ***Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee*** in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research should be knowledgeable in risk communication, risk management, drug safety, and medical, behavioral, and biological sciences as they apply to risk management, and drug abuse.

**Can health professionals serve as consumer representatives?**

Yes. Any person can serve as a consumer representative if he or she can represent interested consumers and consumer organizations. Consumer representatives who have served in the past have included consumer advocates, college professors, consumer lawyers, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, microbiologists, and engineers. A consumer representative should be able to analyze scientific data, understand research design, discuss benefits and risks, and evaluate the safety and efficacy of products under review, but from the consumer perspective.

**Where are the advisory committee meetings held?**

Most meetings are held in the Washington, D.C., area.

**Are advisory committee members paid?**

Most members are appointed as Special Government Employees and receive a salary for each meeting day as well as travel and per diem costs.

**How often are advisory committee meetings held?**

Generally, each committee meets 1 to 4 times per year.

**How long is the advisory committee member term?**

Members serve terms of up to 4 years.

**When are nominations due to FDA?**

Nominations are generally accepted on a continuing basis. Members of an advisory committee serve overlapping 4-year terms and new vacancies become available throughout each year.

**How do I nominate myself or a colleague?**

Any interested person may nominate one or more qualified persons for membership on FDA's advisory committees. Self-nominations are also accepted. Nominations of qualified individuals must include:

Complete curriculum vitae of each nominee
	A written confirmation that the nominee is aware of the nomination (unless self nominated)
	Letter(s) of Recommendation
	For Consumer Representative applications, include a cover letter that lists consumer or community organizations for which the nominee can demonstrate active participation.**Does a candidate have to provide information on potential conflicts of interest?**

Potential candidates are asked to provide detailed information concerning such matters as financial holdings, employment, and research grants and/or contracts in order to permit evaluation of possible sources of conflict of interest.  For more information view the presentation slides on conflicts of interest.

Where to Apply

You may submit your information by logging into the FDA Advisory Committee Membership Nomination Portal:

**Apply for Membership**Resources For You

Current Advisory Committee Vacancy Notices

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      03/27/2018Advisory Committee Membership

          
                        Questions and Answers Regarding Advisory Committee Membership
          Consumer Representatives on FDA Advisory Committees
          Current Notices in the Federal Register for Advisory Committee Nominations


                        Advisory Committee Membership Types
          Advisory Committee Vacancies, Qualifications, and Experience
          Applying for Membership on FDA Advisory Committees
 
 Footer Links
    FDA Archive
          About FDA
          Accessibility
      Visitor Information
          Website Policies / Privacy
          No FEAR Act
          Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
      FOIA
          HHS.gov
          USA.gov
    Contact FDA
      Follow FDA on Facebook
      Follow FDA on X
      Follow FDA on Instagram
      Follow FDA on LinkedIn
      View FDA videos on YouTube
      Subscribe to FDA RSS feeds
    FDA Homepage
    Contact Number
      1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332) Back toTop