Nominations for upcoming vacancies on our Board of Trustees, Member Representative Forum and Congress Committee are now open. This is a fantastic opportunity for members to have a say and get involved in the work of your Society and make a real difference to immunology in the UK.
Our Trustees have the chance to make an active and dynamic contribution to the Society through their responsibility for setting and overseeing the delivery of our strategy, governance and finances, and by working closely with our CEO and staff to support all our members.
Our Member Representative Forum is the Society’s ‘think tank’, charged with developing policy and overseeing other areas of activity for the Society. These activities include education and careers work, public engagement, media, policy and public affairs, which includes helping to formulate responses to external consultations. The membership of this committee is designed to be representative of the Society’s membership, including individuals from all career grades and immunology sectors including industry, academia and clinicians. You can read about what was discussed at the most recent Forum meeting here.
The primary focus of the Congress Committee is to be responsible for the planning and delivery of the BSI’s flagship event, BSI Congress, which takes place two out of every three years.
Why should I stand for election?
Joining a committee offers you exciting opportunities beyond your day job including contributing to a community of like-minded people, influencing scientific policy and developing your personal and professional skills. Being part of a BSI committee gives you a front-row seat to all the action, giving you the chance to inform how we support our members and promote and champion immunology and science to all. Ensuring our committees have a diverse membership is important to us and so we encourage nominations from across the spectrum of our membership, from all backgrounds and career grades. For most positions, you don’t need to have previous experience of sitting on a committee, but you do need lots of enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved to help formulate our activities and policies! Please click here for details on how to nominate yourself.
Nominations will close on Monday 27 March. Scroll down to explore the vacancies or find out more here.
What we look for in our BSI committee members
If you’re considering standing for one of the positions available, ask yourself:
- Are you committed to immunology and to the Society and want to help shape our future?
- Are you willing to speak your mind and contribute to the voice of immunology?
- Do you want to get more involved and use your skills and experience to make a difference?
- Are you happy giving your time, thoughts and energy to representing your fellow members?
- Can you work collaboratively to support the BSI in achieving its mission and promote equal opportunities in immunology?
Why should I vote?
If the available positions are not for you, you can encourage others to stand and have your say by voting in the elections. Your vote really does count. Your elected representatives will make numerous decisions on your behalf, such as fees for membership and Congress registration; which issues the BSI focuses on in our policy work; how best to provide career support to immunologists; and many more areas, so engaging with the elections genuinely does make a difference.
Your vote really does count. Your elected representatives will make numerous decisions on your behalf.
Voting is quick and easy and will be open from Wednesday 12 April to Friday 5 May with the election results announced on the BSI website the following week. All current BSI members will receive a voting link so please ensure your membership is up to date and keep an eye on your inbox around this time.*
Vacancies
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
- General Trustee ×3 – Trustees make active and dynamic contributions to the Board, using their wide-ranging skills, knowledge and experience to ensure good governance and the development of strategy for the Society. They feed into wider activities which help enhance the work of immunology. Trustees are appointed for four years. They are expected to attend four Board meetings per year, held both virtually and in-person in London. These roles are due to commence in July 2023 taking over from Deborah Dunn-Walters, Matthias Eberl and Allan Mowat.
MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE FORUM
- Early Career Representative – This position is open to any BSI member who is up to three years into their postdoctoral (or equivalent) career. Faith Uwadiae finishes her term of office in June.
- Industry Representative – This position is open to any BSI member who is working in industry at all levels. Federica Villanova finishes her term of office in June.
- PhD Representative – This position is open to any BSI member who is in the first three years of conducting their PhD. Niamh Richmond is stepping down in June.
CONGRESS COMMITTEE
- General member ×2 – The primary focus of the Congress Committee is the planning and delivery of the BSI’s flagship event, BSI Congress. Alex Spencer and John Tregoning are finishing their terms this year. These two roles will start in 2023. After nominations, positions are elected by an in-house panel to complement the existing expertise on the committee.
We wish to extend a huge thank you to all of our committee members past and present, in particular to those named above for all their contributions to the BSI.
Click here for details on how to nominate yourself.