Request an FDA Speaker
Questions?
Email us at FDASpeaks@fda.hhs.gov.
FDA receives thousands of requests each year from trade associations and industry-based groups for speakers to participate in external meetings, conferences, and workshops that involve staff from the Office of the Commissioner as well as FDA Centers and Offices. The Office of the Executive Secretariat (OES) within the Office of the Commissioner is responsible for handling requests. OES works closely with FDA leadership to identify the appropriate Agency speaker and topics that support our regulatory, scientific and compliance mission-oriented activities.
Request a Speaker from Office of the Commissioner
What if my request pertains to specific FDA-regulated product areas?
See the contact information listed below to inquire directly with your product area of interest. Someone from that product area will provide further guidance regarding your request. To request 2 or more FDA speakers from our various units, email FDASpeaks@fda.hhs.gov.
| Topic | Center/Office | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| Animal & Veterinary | Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) | AskCVM@fda.hhs.gov |
| Biologics, Blood, and Vaccines | Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research (CBER) | |
| Drugs | Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) | |
| Foods, Dietary Supplements, and Cosmetics | Human Foods Program (HFP) | HFPExecSec@fda.hhs.gov |
| Inspections and Enforcements | Office of Inspections and Investigations (OII) | |
| Medical Devices and Radiation-Emitting Products | Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) | |
| National Center for Toxicological Research | Write to: National Center for Toxicological Research, 3900 NCTR Road, Jefferson, AR 72079 | |
| Oncology Center of Excellence/Oncologic Diseases | Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) | |
| Tobacco Products | Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) | |
When to submit an FDA speaker request
Allow 3-4 months advance notice for events within the contiguous United States. Allow 4-6 months advance notice for events in Alaska, Hawaii, and abroad.
What information is required to submit an FDA speaker request?
FDA requires the following information to evaluate speaker requests:
- Name, date and location of the event
- Name of organization(s) sponsoring the event
- Invitation letter and agenda (PDFs and Word documents smaller than 5MB are acceptable, including active HTML links to web pages or websites)
- Topic of speakers' presentation and desired length of presentation
- Targeted audience and expected number of attendees
- Organization contact information (name, phone/fax number, email)
- Complete program agenda with all invited speaker(s) and topic(s) (draft agenda is acceptable)
- Specify media coverage (i.e., general media and/or trade press)
- Other pertinent information
What happens after a request is submitted?
OES works closely with FDA’s Center speaker liaisons to determine the appropriate speaker. If more information is needed, OES (or appropriate Center) will work with the requesting organization to gather it.
Factors that may be used to consider requests include timeliness of the topic, geographic location of the event, the event's target audience, FDA staff availability, expected number of attendees and availability of funds to cover travel costs (if necessary).
Once your request has been processed, OES or the appropriate Center will contact you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Please tell us if you would like a particular person or someone with a specific expertise. Be prepared to be flexible: your first choice might not be available, so we recommend that you include a second and third choice in your request.
We aim to provide timely responses. But in some cases, the clearance process might take six weeks or longer.
No, there is no guarantee that FDA will be able to provide a speaker for your event.
No. That would delay your request. Please use the FDA Speaker Questionnaire rather than contacting the speakers directly.
Although FDA carefully considers each request for a speaker, every year we receive more requests than we can accept. While your request is pending, we would prefer that the promotional materials for your meeting simply state "FDA Invited" without mentioning the invited speaker by name. Once we have confirmed our participation, you may go ahead and name the confirmed speaker in your promotional materials.
The Office of Global Policy and Strategy handles all activities involving our foreign regulatory counterparts as well as WHO/PAHO officials. For information, please contact the Office of Global Policy and Strategy at FDA_Global@fda.hhs.gov.
The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) handles all FDA’s activities involving federal, state and local officials. For more information, contact the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at IGA@fda.hhs.gov.
Please email any feedback to the Stakeholder Engagement Staff/Office of Executive Secretariat/Office of the Commissioner at FDASpeaks@fda.hhs.gov.