On September 30, 2026, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of a “nationwide effort to expand scientific expertise and consumer voices” on the agency’s advisory committees. FDA uses advisory committees to obtain independent expert advice on scientific, technical and policy matters in implementing its public health mission, and these committees are comprised of both voting and non-voting members serving in either an individual or designated representative capacity. Advisory committees are a tool the agency may dawn upon to inform its thinking on a range of matters through independent perspectives and recommendations, including on FDA-regulated products and applications.
In conjunction with this announcement, FDA published two notices in the Federal Register on October 1, 2026, laying out specifics regarding the types of nominations and the process for submitting them. More specifically, the notice entitled “Request for Nominations for Voting Members of Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees” focuses on voting-member positions in which appointees serve as individuals rather than as designated representatives, the criteria for voting members and appointment status, as well as nomination procedures. The agency will accept nominations on a continuing basis, but nominations received on or before November 30, 2026 will be given first consideration for current and near-term vacancies. Nominations received after that date will be considered as subsequent vacancies arise.
A companion notice entitled “Request for Nominations for Individuals and Consumer Organizations for Advisory Committees” focuses on consumer organizations interested in participating in the selection of voting and/or nonvoting consumer representatives to serve on its advisory committees or panels, and for committees and/or panels for which vacancies currently exist or are expected to occur in the near future. This notice also provides supplemental information regarding the specific advisory committees (including the functions and general description of their duties) and type of vacancy, and identifies the timing with respect to those vacancies as immediate. The notice also lays out the criteria for members, selection and nomination procedures. Any consumer organization interested in participating in the selection of a voting or nonvoting member to represent consumer interests on an FDA advisory committee or panel may contact the agency by November 16, 2026 (for the vacancies listed in the notice), and nomination materials for prospective candidates should be sent to FDA by November 16, 2026. FDA is accepting nominations for current vacancies and future vacancies through December 31, 2026.
How FDA proceeds with filling current and future vacancies across advisory committees will be of interest to a range of entities, including policy-makers on Capitol Hill, given the role of these committees in supporting aspects of the agency’s work. More broadly, entities will also be continuing to watch to see how FDA approaches convening advisory committees and whether and how filling the identified vacancies impacts the agency’s use of advisory committees going forward.
