Governance

The Global Board of Directors provides overall strategic leadership and governance for RAPS. The board establishes organizational policy, sets strategic direction, and oversees the activities of elected leaders and committees to support RAPS’ mission and global operations.

• Members of the Board of Directors
• Position Descriptions and Duties

Sub-committees of the Board: 

• Executive Committee — The executive committee shall consist of the chairman, president, president-elect, secretary/treasurer, and the executive director in ex officio, non-voting capacity. The executive committee may act on behalf of the board of directors pursuant to the authority delegated by the board.
• Finance Committee — The finance committee provides input and guidance to the board of directors in support of the board’s financial oversight responsibilities. The committee is chaired by the treasurer. Some committee members are appointed by the board chair, and additional members are solicited through the RAPS volunteer portal.
• Nominations Committee — The nominations committee reviews/refines the nominating process, timeline, candidate criteria, and submission materials. The nominations committee shall use its best efforts to select one qualified candidate from the society’s membership for each officer and director position to be filled on the RAPS Board of Directors to offer balanced leadership and representation. The outgoing board chair leads this committee, and committee members are selected for two-year terms by staff invitation and confirmed by the nominations committee chair.

RAPS is incorporated as a separate non-profit legal entity established in Brussels, Belgium. The Europe Board of Directors governs RAPS’ activities and strategic presence in Europe, providing policy oversight and fiduciary leadership to ensure RAPS’ programs, services, and initiatives effectively support regulatory professionals across the region.

• Members of the Board of Directors
• Position Descriptions and Duties

Sub-committee of the Board: 

• RAPS European Council (REC) – The RAPS European Council (REC), working in collaboration with the RAPS EU Board of Directors, supports RAPS’ mission by advancing and strengthening the regulatory profession in Europe. The REC provides regional insight, strategic input, and subject-matter expertise to help shape RAPS’ European strategy, programming, and engagement with regulatory stakeholders at both the EU and national levels.

The Institute Board of Directors provides governance and oversight for RAPS Institute, including its credentialing and certification programs. The board ensures the integrity, relevance, and strategic alignment of RAPS Institute activities in support of professional standards and regulatory excellence.

• Members of the Board of Directors
• Position Descriptions and Duties

The editorial advisory committee (EAC) helps RAPS identify key topics, needs and areas of interest for regulatory professionals, and identifies potential authors and subject matter experts for books, feature articles, case studies, interviews, white papers and other content. The EAC’s primary purpose is to help develop editorial calendars for each calendar year, including monthly themes and recurring topics for Regulatory Focus articles, suggest authors for publications and articles, facilitate the production of new publications, and suggest technical reviewers based on areas of expertise.

The EAC chair recommends members based on professional contacts, suggestions by EAC members and RAPS staff, and unsolicited nominations submitted to RAPS.

Learn more and meet the committee members

The fellows committee is responsible for reviewing applications and selecting participants of the RAPS Fellows Program and providing RAPS Fellows with substantive activities that contribute to the advancement of the RA profession. Committee members are also responsible for reviewing and adjusting criteria to select participants of the fellows program. Committee members are solicited through the RAPS volunteer portal and selected by the chair/vice chair. All members shall have the RAPS Fellows distinction.

The education committee provides regulatory affairs expertise across product sectors and regions to the RAPS education team as related to RAPS’ education and training programs and initiatives, except for the Convergence event. The education committee will assist RAPS education staff by providing feedback for both RAPS’ current portfolio of courses and potential future offerings. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Helping identify both "evergreen" and "emerging" topics of interest.
• Serving as subject matter experts in designing and developing new and reviewing existing content.
• Identifying qualified instructors for online and in-person educational activities.
• Helping RAPS staff understand what other regulatory affairs training is offered.

 

Committee members are solicited through the RAPS volunteer portal and selected by the chair/vice chair.

The Convergence planning committee develops themes and tracks and identifies topics and speakers for the RAPS Annual Conference (“Convergence”) that are suited to the needs of members and the profession and positions the annual conference as the preeminent professional development, learning, and networking opportunity for the regulatory profession.

Committee members are solicited through the RAPS volunteer portal and selected by the chair/vice chair, based on open spaces and needed representation.

As RAPS works to be the face of the global regulatory workforce, the RAPS Awards Program will support the mission in celebrating organizations and individuals that drive good regulatory practice and policy while advancing public health. The awards committee will provide the resources and expertise to select recipients whose exemplary contributions deserve recognition.

Committee members are invited by the chair/vice chair.

The Membership Committee works with RAPS staff to provide advice, feedback, and counsel on membership recruitment, retention, engagement, inclusion, and membership value through recognized program benefits, educational offerings, networking opportunities, and other services to ensure that the member experience meets expectations and provides value to assist regulatory professionals.
The mission of the membership committee is to provide oversight and direction to the needs of individual members of RAPS in various areas.
 
The Membership Committee Roles:

• Membership Service – identify members' needs/strategies and recommend developing services to meet those needs that provide value to the member.
• Increasing Membership – recommend strategies for increasing the RAPS membership base, including underrepresented groups or special interest groups.
• Keeping Membership Informed and Engaged – recommend ways to make the prospective and current members aware of RAPS resources, services, and benefits.
• Welcoming New Members – recommend ways to acknowledge new members and encourage participation/volunteering in RAPS activities; conduct welcoming activities, i.e., at Convergence or other events, first-timers activities.
• Identifying Nonmember Needs and Perceptions – analyze nonmember needs and recommend ways to meet those needs to attract nonmembers to join RAPS.
• Best Practices – review and analyze membership procedures eliminating barriers to join. 
• Research – review and conduct data analysis/surveys.

Committee members are solicited through the RAPS volunteer portal and selected by the chair/vice chair.