Nominations window open for 2024 RSC elections

Catalyse change at the RSC by taking a role with one of our governance bodies. We are now accepting nominations for a host of key roles – including the RSC president.

If you are passionate about the future of the chemical sciences community, there is a role for you. We are looking for dedicated RSC members to stand for election, and available openings include:

• RSC president
• Member Communities Board
• Professional Standards Board
• Subject Communities

You have until 5pm (UK time) on Monday, 5 February but don’t delay, submit your application now! Details of the individual posts, how to apply and the election process can be found below or on our elections page. Those elected will start serving in their posts from the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in July.

We welcome nominations from across the chemical sciences community for these posts are welcome as we seek to ensure the RSC is as representative as possible. Whatever your career background, geographical location, age, gender or ethnicity, you can help us better understand the needs of our members.

What positions are available?

RSC president

The president of the Royal Society of Chemistry chairs the Board of Trustees, which plays a major role in shaping the organisation’s overarching direction. After serving as president elect from the AGM in July 2024 until July 2026, the chosen applicant will fill the role of President from then until July 2028.

Board members

Serving underneath the Board of Trustees, our four boards play a key role in establishing the direction of the RSC.

• Member Communities Board member

  This board helps to shape day-to-day life within the chemistry community by developing strategies to be passed down to subject communities, interest groups and local sections among others.

Three vacancies are open for our Member Communities Board:

• One of which is open to those active within the local section networks.
• One of which is suitable for those active within the interest groups.
• One is aimed at those who are active within the area of early careers.

All three openings require applicants to possess experience of serving on a network committee within the past five years. The elected members will take office after July’s AGM and serve until July 2027.

• Professional Standards Board member

Driving best practice within the scientific community and establishing the standards to which we hold RSC members to account are among the key tasks involved with this position.

There is a vacancy for one elected member. This post, which starts in July and lasts three years, will also advise the Board of Trustees on strategic developments in professional and employment practice.

Subject community vacancies

Subject community councils provide leadership to specific sections of the chemistry world. These councils, which are made up of a president and several elected members, are crucial to developing and implementing activities for their subject communities.

Each subject community president serves as subject community president elect for one year, starting in July 2024. After that year finishes, they take over as president for a three-year term until July 2028. This is then followed by a brief stint as immediate past president, typically four months. The council members take office in July 2024 for a three-year term.

Presidents and council members come from a range of backgrounds and career stages, so this is a great opportunity to assume a leadership position, regardless of where you are in your career.

There are plenty of opportunities to step up and become a subject community president or subject community council members:

• Analytical Science

There are vacancies for two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/analytical-science-community

• Chemistry Biology Interface

There are vacancies for two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/chemistry-biology-interface

• Dalton

There are vacancies for community president and two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/dalton-community

• Education

There are vacancies for two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/education-community

• Environment, Sustainability and Energy

There are vacancies for two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/environment-sustainability-and-energy-community

• Faraday Community for Physical Chemistry

There are vacancies for two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/faraday-community

• Materials Chemistry

There are vacancies for two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/materials-chemistry-community

• Organic Chemistry

There are vacancies for community president and two elected members of the community council: https://rsc.li/organic-chemistry-community

How to nominate someone and the process

Any member can make nominations for any of the vacancies and there are two ways of submitting a nomination:

• Self-nomination
  Any member, regardless of membership category, can nominate themselves for one vacancy. This does not prevent a self-nominating member from being nominated for another vacant position by either the Nominations Committee, any other RSC Board or Committee or another member.
• Proposer nomination
  Any member, regardless of membership category, may propose candidates for nomination. All nominations are required to be accompanied by the names of two RSC members willing to second the nomination. This shall form part of the candidate’s application.

To be eligible to nominate and vote in subject community elections, you must be subscribed to the community concerned. To subscribe to particular subject communities, you can update your membership record through the online members’ area at https://members.rsc.org; by calling +44 (0)1223 432141; or by emailing membership@rsc.org

Nominees will be asked to declare that they are willing to make the necessary commitments if elected.

The Nominations Committee will confirm the candidate’s willingness to be nominated for the role of RSC president, as well as any of the positions on the Members Communities Board and Professional Standards Board. The committee will also evaluate all valid nominations to produce a shortlist of candidates who meet the requirements of the role descriptor and can demonstrate the necessary skills and experience to fulfil the role. Successful candidates will then be put forward for election.

For subject community Presidents and elected members of the subject community councils, the Nominations Committee will establish that each nomination is valid, confirm each member’s willingness to serve if elected, and put them forward for election.

The RSC has partnered with Mi-Voice, a leading electoral service provider, to set up a secure online nominations website at https://www.mi-nomination.com/rsc. Please use this link to find further information on our vacancies, including role descriptors and details of how and where members can submit nominations.

The closing date for receipt of completed nominations is 5pm (UK time) on Monday, 5 February 2024.

Further information

General information on RSC governance can be found at https://www.rsc.org/about-us/our-structure.

If you have any queries regarding the nominations process, please contact Hilary Beckett, Governance Co-ordinator, via tel: +44 (0)207 440 3341 or email: becketth@rsc.org, and she will be more than happy to help.