Introduction

Scientific and technological innovation addressing public health needs are important drivers for FDA’s regulatory portfolio. To support the development of innovative products, FDA’s regulatory science research addresses knowledge gaps and improves the Agency’s familiarity with how new science and technology are applied to FDA-regulated products. FDA’s Emerging Sciences Working Group scans the horizon to identify new scientific trends that may affect products coming to FDA in the future. The identification of trends in this horizon-scanning may result in a new scientific working group, new employee recruitment, funding of intramural and extramural projects to address FDA’s needs, and new training programs or provision of other resources to FDA reviewers. FDA adapts and responds by actively promoting scientific and technological innovations, using innovative research tools to further advance development of innovative regulated products, and providing support and information about regulatory requirements to other innovators.