Council invites nominations for next Education, Training and Policy (ETP) Committee Chair

Professor Robert Freedman, current ETP Chair, will complete his term and step down at the next AGM (May 3rd 2012). We are now seeking nominations from the College of Member Organisations and College of Individual Members for his successor. The Chair is responsible for the work of the ETP committee which provides strategic direction for the education and science policy work of the Society. The Chair is also responsible for representing the views of ETP, and the Society, at external meetings and  profile-raising events; helping to provide overall strategic guidance for the Society’s education, training and science policy work; engaging with high-level contacts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics sectors to promote the life sciences, and will occasionally act as Chair at Society events.

Candidates must:

• Hold a senior professional position and have standing within the science community.  This includes the academic, commercial and education sectors.
• Have made a significant contribution to UK biosciences (e.g. Fellow of the Society of Biology or Member Organisation)
• Be actively engaged with a network of others in the fields of education, training and/or policy of relevance to the Society.
• Have a demonstrable breadth of interests in the biological sciences. Be capable of holding a ‘neutral’ position in debates on policy and education matters where necessary and comfortable with defending and promoting positions adopted by the Society. Be confident of having sufficient time to accommodate the diaried and on-going commitments of this role.
• Be willing to act as the public face of ETP where necessary.
• Be willing to engage, on behalf of the Society, with high-level policy-makers, Parliamentarians and others to fulfil the aims and objectives of the Society.
• Be willing to serve on, and work with the Council of the Society.   

The term of appointment for the Chair will usually be 3 years and the Chair may not serve consecutively for more than 6 years.

Nomination process

Individual members and Member Organisations are invited to nominate suitable candidates for the role of ETP Chair. Please submit the name along with a short biography and the reasons for the recommendation (e.g. interest in education or science policy, Fellow of one or more of the MOs, previous experience of working with the candidate) to the Head of Education by email

Please note: Candidates should not be approached at this stage and nominations remain highly confidential. All nominated candidates will be discussed at the February Council meeting and the final selection will be made by the Society of Biology’s Council and announced at the AGM on 3 May 2012.All members who nominate a candidate will be informed of the decision once the selected individual has accepted the post.  

Deadline for nominations: 13th February 2012 (for consideration at 16th February Council Meeting)

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