From the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group website:

The Tick-Borne Disease Working Group (Working Group) is seeking nominations of federal employees and members of the public who are interested in being considered for appointment to one of six subcommittees that are being established to support the efforts of the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group.  Each subcommittee will present a carefully reasoned, evidence-informed report to the Working Group for the Working Group’s deliberation. Nominations will be accepted until midnight on January 2, 2018. (Editor’s note: The deadline has since been extended to January 7.)

Background

Congress established the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group in the 21^st Century Cures Act to provide expertise and to review all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services related to all tick-borne diseases, to help ensure inter-agency coordination and minimize overlap, and to examine research priorities.

Key tasks include the development and implementation of a summary of federally funded projects focused on Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, reviews of the scientific literature, as well as information provided at subcommittee meetings by subject matter experts, and by patients and their families.

The Working Group is comprised of 7 Federal voting members and 7 non-federal voting members. These members represent a diverse group of stake holders with different levels of scientific expertise and different points of view on the needs and experiences of those whose lives have been affected by Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Ideally, the subcommittees will include federal and public members that have specific subject matter expertise, are a patient, family member or patient advocates, scientists or researchers, and health care providers.

On December 12, 2017, the Working Group established 6 subcommittees to assist the Working Group with the development of the report to Congress and the HHS Secretary required by the 21^st Century Cures Act.  Those subcommittees are:

1. Disease Vectors, Surveillance and Prevention (includes epidemiology of tick-borne diseases).
2. Pathogenesis, Transmission, and Treatment
3. Testing and Diagnostics (including laboratory-based diagnoses and clinical-diagnoses)
4. Access to Care Services and Support to Patients
5. Vaccine and Therapeutics
6. Other Tick-Borne Diseases and Co-infections

The primary purpose of the subcommittee is to gather information, conduct research, or analyze relevant issues and facts in preparation for meetings by the Working Group, or to draft position papers for deliberation by the Working Group.

Submission Process and Deadline

Nominations will only be considered from two sources: (1) nominations that are submitted by persons who would like to serve on the subcommittee and (2) follow up with persons who previously submitted their names for consideration as members of the full Working Group.

Persons who are interested in serving on a subcommittee are invited to nominate themselves by submitting an email with the information described below to tickbornedisease@hhs.gov.

Everyone who is nominated will receive a letter thanking them for their willingness to serve as member and congratulate them for their nomination. All people who had been previously nominated to serve on the Working Group should receive an email asking them if they would like to be considered for any of the subcommittees. If they do, they will have the option of using the materials they have already provided or submitting updated materials.

Click here for detailed information about submitting nominations.