Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative

March 2025 Update:

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Transitional Nominating Committee (TNC) are now accepting applications for new members to join the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Board of Directors. The formation of the new Board is a key part of the Modernization Initiative designed to modernize the nation’s organ transplant system to improve transparency, performance, governance, and efficiency for the more than 100,000 people on the organ transplant waitlist.   

The application period will be open from March 3, 2025, through April 4, 2025.  

• Board Roles and Responsibilities: The OPTN Board is the governing body that oversees and participates in policy development for OPTN operations. The Board is responsible for oversight of organ allocation policies, OPTN membership criteria, and OPTN management and membership policies. All Board Directors must adhere to the OPTN Code of Conduct.  
• Time Commitment/Reimbursement: Serving as a Director on the OPTN Board requires at least 12 hours of time commitment per month. Directors are expected to attend two multi-day meetings per year, as well as monthly meetings. This is a voluntary position.   
• Exclusion Criteria: Individuals will be ineligible for consideration if they currently serve on the OPTN Board, served on the OPTN Board in the last 10 years or are currently on the Transitional Nominating Committee (TNC); have financial, personal, business, or professional relationships with the OPTN or members of the OPTN Board outside of and beyond their primary role; are employed by or a subcontractor to current OPTN contractors; and are personally, or employed by an entity that is, pending criminal, serious ethics, or regulatory action.   
• Screening Criteria: Applicants will be screened for 1) Availability (i.e., at least 12 hours per month), 2) Alignment with Modernization, and 3) Conflicts of Interest (COIs). Following that step, TNC members will score applicants in various categories based on their position:  
  • Organ transplant professionals: Professional organ transplantation experience, ethics, finance, governance, logistics or operations experience  
  • Individuals with lived organ transplant experience: Lived transplantation experience, ethics, finance, governance, logistics, or operations experience 
  • Non-transplant professionals: Non-transplant professional experience, ethics, finance, governance, logistics or operations experience  
• Next Steps: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with some applicants invited to an interview with members of the TNC, after which the TNC will recommend a slate of candidates for approval by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. OPTN members will vote on the final slate of candidates later this summer. 

Learn more about the Special Election: 

• Special Election Webinar Slides (PDF - 1 MB)
• Special Election Webinar Recording
• Frequently Asked Questions (PDF - 162 KB)

How to Apply

Complete the following no later than 5 PM EST on April 4, 2025: 

• Volunteer Interest Form application
• Conflict of Interest (COI) Disclosure form 

Please submit questions to OPTNBoardSupport@air.org. 
 

2025 updates

• January 2025