Volunteer

The OPTN is now accepting applications from interested volunteers to serve on OPTN committees. Selected volunteers will begin their terms on July 1, 2026.

Volunteers on most OPTN committees serve three-year terms. Members of the Membership and Professional Standards Committee (MPSC) serve two-year terms. Learn about service on OPTN Committees.

Apply now

Submit a Committee Volunteer Interest Form by March 16, 2026, to be considered for service beginning July 1, 2026. If you completed a volunteer interest form on or after February 1, 2025, and are interested in being considered for current vacancies, please contact OPTNBoardSupport@air.org.

Background

The OPTN relies on more than 300 volunteers who shape OPTN policies in the continuous process of improving the nation’s transplant system. We seek people who represent all backgrounds, viewpoints, and roles within the transplantation and donation process. We encourage you to share this call for nominations with members of your organization as well as patients, donors, and their family members who may be interested in becoming a volunteer on an OPTN committee. Patient, donor, and family representation is critical to the policy development process. A list of vacancies and committee needs are below. Note that current committee structure will be assessed by the OPTN Board of Directors and could change in the future.

Selection  

As per Policy A.1 of the OPTN Management and Membership Policies, Regional Councillors will review submitted Committee Volunteer Interest Forms and make recommendations to the OPTN Vice President to fill vacancies on OPTN committees. The Regional Councillors may request input from committees and Associate Regional Councillors to assist in their recommendations.

List of vacancies

This list represents anticipated July 1, 2026, vacancies on the OPTN committees.

Committee

Open Position(s)

Requested Expertise

Data Advisory Committee (Ad Hoc)
  • At Large (7)
  • Clinical research experience in transplantation
  • Data science, data collection, and/or quality reporting for regulatory oversight expertise
Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (Ad Hoc)
  • At Large (5)
  • Adult transplant infection disease physician
  • Family member of transplant recipient or donor
  • Organ procurement organization (OPO) representative
  • Transplant pulmonologist
  • Transplant hepatologist
  • Transplant surgeon
Ethics Committee
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 6 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • Region 9 Representative
  • At Large (1)
  • PhD or physician with social work experience
  • Transplant administrator or director of clinical services
  • Transplant ethicist who also has experience as an attorney
  • Transplant ethicist (PhD) and scholar familiar with transplant law
  • Transplant surgeon
Heart Transplantation Committee
  • Region 4 Representative
  • Region 7 Representative
  • Region 10 Representative
  • Region 11 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Heart transplant recipient or family member of transplant recipient or donor
  • OPO representative
  • Transplant cardiologist or surgeon
  • Transplant coordinator
  • Transplant nurse practitioner 

Vice Chair:

  • Transplant Surgeon
Histocompatibility Committee
  • Region 1 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 6 Representative
  • Region 7 Representative
  • At Large
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Histocompatibility lab director, supervisor, or technician
  • Patient, family, or donor representative

Vice Chair:

  • Histocompatibility lab director, supervisor, or technician and previous experience on the Histocompatibility Committee
Kidney Transplantation Committee
  • Region 1 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 6 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • Vice Chair

Regional Representatives:

  • Adult transplant surgeon
  • Histocompatibility lab director, supervisor, or technician
  • OPO representative
  • Patient, family, or donor representative
  • Pediatric transplant nephrologist or surgeon

Vice Chair:

  • Transplant nephrologist or surgeon
Liver & Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 6 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • Region 9 Representative
  • Region 10 Representative
  • Region 11 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Data analysis, management, or policy expertise
  • Patient, family, or donor representative
  • Transplant physician or surgeon specializing in pediatrics, infectious disease, or multivisceral transplantation
  • Transplant administrator

Vice Chair:

  • Hepatologist
Living Donor Committee
  • Region 9 Representative
  • At Large (3)
  • Living donor transplant recipient with advocacy or policy expertise
  • Social worker
  • Transplant administrator
  • Transplant hepatologist
Lung Transplantation Committee
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 5 Representative
  • Region 7 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Patient, family, or donor representative
  • Lung transplant coordinator
  • Lunt transplant surgeon
Membership & Professional Standards Committee
  • At Large (14)
  • Vice Chair

At Large Representatives:

  • Anesthesiologist
  • Adult nephrologist
  • Histocompatibility lab director, supervisor, or technician
  • Hospital administration expertise
  • OPO logistics, operations, or procurement expertise
  • Pediatric transplant physician or surgeon
  • Thoracic pediatric transplant physician or surgeon
  • Transplant physician or surgeon with expertise managing normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) donation (e.g., cardiac surgeon, critical care anesthesiologist, abdominal surugeon)

Vice Chair:

  • Previous service as MPSC Chair or Vice Chair
Minority Affairs Committee
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • At Large
  • Vice Chair
  • Abdominal surgeon
  • Cardiologist
  • Hepatologist
  • Nephrologist
  • Patient, family, or donor representative
  • Thoracic surgeon
Multi-Organ Transplantation Committee (Ad Hoc)
  • At Large (9)
  • Heart transplant physician or surgeon
  • Kidney transplant physician or surgeon
  • Liver and intestine transplant physician or surgeon
  • Lung transplant physician or surgeon
  • Multi-organ transplant physician or surgeon
  • OPO representative
  • Pancreas transplant physician or surgeon
  • Pediatric transplant physician or surgeon
Operations and Safety Committee
  • Region 1 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 7 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • Region 9 Representative
  • Region 10 Representative
  • At Large
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Abdominal transplant surgeon
  • Critical care expertise
  • Family or donor representative
  • OPO representative or OPO expertise in quality
  • Thoracic transplant surgeon
  • Transplant coordinator
  • Transplant hospital representative with pediatric expertise

Vice Chair:

  • OPO administrator with operations expertise and previous experience on an OPTN committee
Organ Procurement Organization Committee
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 5 Representative
  • Region 6 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Abdominal transplant coordinator
  • OPO representative with leadership, executive leadership, or quality expertise
  • Thoracic transplant coordinator

Vice Chair:

  • OPO representative with administrative or clinical expertise
Pancreas Transplantation Committee
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 4 Representative
  • Region 7 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • Region 11 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Endocrinologist
  • Islet transplant expert
  • Nephrologist
  • OPO representative
  • Patient, donor, or family member
  • Transplant physician or surgeon

Vice Chair:

  • Pancreas or islet transplant physician or surgeon
Patient Affairs Committee
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 3 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Expertise in change management, supply chain operations, food safety, or other environments undergoing modernization
  • Finance, investment, or group insurance expertise
  • Kidney transplant recipient
  • Living liver organ donor
  • Transplant candidate
Pediatric Transplantation Committee
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 4 Representative
  • Region 9 Representative
  • Region 11 Representative
  • At Large (3)
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Patient, donor, or family member
  • Transplant cardiologist
  • Transplant hepatologist
  • Transplant nephrologist
  • Transplant pulmonologist

Vice Chair:

  • Experience in pediatric abdominal transplant as a transplant physician or surgeon, family members, transplant coordinator, or OPO representative
Policy Oversight Committee (POC)
  • Vice Chair
  • Previous service on the POC
  • Previously served as an OPTN committee chair
Transplant Administrators Committee
  • Region 3 Representative
  • Region 4 Representative
  • Region 7 Representative
  • Region 8 Representative
  • Region 10 Representative
  • Region 11 Representative
  • At Large (1)
  • Vice Chair

Regional and At Large Representatives:

  • Transplant or operations administrator
  • Experience in transplant finance or billing
  • Transplant clinical manager or nursing manager with experience in pediatrics

Vice Chair:

  • Transplant or operations administrator
Transplant Coordinators Committee
  • Region 1 Representative
  • Region 2 Representative
  • Region 5 Representative
  • At Large (2)
  • Transplant coordinator or administrator with experience in adult, pediatric, or living donor transplantation
Vascularized Composite Allograft Transplantation Committee (Ad Hoc)
  • At Large (3)
  • Health assessment or health outcomes research expertise in vascularized composite allograft
  • Transplant surgeon (solid organ transplant, abdominal transplant, or vascularized composite allograft expertise)
  • Transplant or vascularized composite allograft ethics expertise
  • Uterus transplantation expertise

Why volunteer?

More than 170 million Americans - or about 2 in every 3 adults - have decided to donate their organs to help someone awaiting a transplant. Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the transplant waiting list. As a member of the donation and transplant community you have an impact on registered organ donors and waitlisted patients every day. But there is more you can do.

The structure of the OPTN relies on more than 300 active and engaged volunteers who shape OPTN policies in the continuous process of improving the nation’s organ donation and transplant system. By sharing your time and expertise in one of these policy development roles you can help the donation and transplant community save and enhance lives.

We seek people who represent all backgrounds, viewpoints and roles within the transplant and donation, procurement, and transplant process.

How to volunteer

What to expect

The composition of the OPTN Board of Directors and OPTN committees are governed by the OPTN Final Rule and the OPTN Bylaws.

As a condition of service, Board members must: 

Committee volunteers must: 

Other ways to get involved

Providing your direct feedback is also an opportunity to improve the system.

The OPTN is improved by forthcoming individuals who raise their concerns. Anyone may submit a complaint or concern online if they suspect:

HRSA and the OPTN are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels safe reporting concerns of unethical conduct, violations of laws or regulations, or other serious matters. Specifically, the OPTN Management and Membership Policies prohibit retaliation against any person who in good faith reports any concerns. Everyone involved in giving, receiving, or coordinating care with OPTN members should feel comfortable when sharing concerns, flagging anything that may be unsafe, or reporting potential fraud, waste, or abuse.

Visit Reporting Allegations of Misconduct to learn more.

Volunteering on a committee

OPTN policy development committees develop and refine official OPTN policy. These committees are made up of healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, donor representatives, and members of the public. Each committee has a particular policy focus. Each committee considers policy proposals, sometimes collaborating with other committees, and offers comments reflecting the constituency or discipline they represent.

Members of OPTN policy development committees contribute content expertise to the policy development process.

Volunteering on the Board of Directors

The OPTN Board of Directors is the governing body for official OPTN policy.

The Board of Directors is a group of 35 nationally elected members who represent a broad spectrum of constituencies in the community. With committee support, the Board creates and refines policy to improve the effectiveness of the current system for organ donation, procurement and transplantation.

Board members may be elected or appointed to one of the four Board committees: Executive Committee, Finance Committee, the Network Operations Oversight Committee (NOOC), and/or Nominating Committee.

Members of the OPTN Board of Directors commit to serving the transplant community by adopting a global governance mindset in decision-making.

Get started

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