Call for Grants Committee Members

This is a great opportunity to be part of an interesting Committee, which is integral to developing the Society’s grants portfolio. The Society provides grants to promote excellent ecological research, support early career ecologists, help fund training and travel, and to communicate ecological science as widely as possible. In recent years, over £350,000 per annum has been awarded globally through the various society grants. Please see our website for more details on the individual grant types.

Grants Committee is directly responsible for the decision making process with regards to grant applications received by the BES, alongside comments provided by our Review College. It is also responsible for setting the annual budget, reviewing the strategic aims of the committee and ensuring the needs of the ecological community are being met.

Membership of the committee is 3 years and can be renewed for an additional 3 to 6 years. The committee meets twice a year to discuss applications; in early May and early November; you will be required to read over grant applications prior to these meetings. Your first meeting if selected will be November 2017.

The meetings usually take place at Charles Darwin House, our Head Office in London and all reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed.

Applicants should send a short CV (no more than 2 pages) and brief summary outlining your area of interest and how you will contribute to the committee. We are considering members from all areas of expertise but would like to encourage individuals with an interest in Marine Biogeochemistry, Vertebrate Ecology or experience with science Outreach.

All applications should be sent to our Grants & Events Officer, Siri McDonnell by Monday 11 September.

Testimonial

Coleen Suckling, Grants Committee Member

“I was really excited to join the Grants Committee.  I wanted to be able to give back to the BES, a professional society which has been important in my career progression. Moreover, I wanted to learn more about how grant applications are processed, but this experience has provided me with much more than this.

It presents challenges on reviewing outside of your field of expertise, helping you to work outside of your comfort zone, and within tight deadlines allowing you to become more efficient – all valuable skills within the field of academia.

The team is extremely friendly and fun to work with. I have learned much from their expert opinions helping me to become a more rounded ecologist. Additionally, effective administrative and chairing styles have had some influence on the way I manage work at my home institute.

Being part of this Committee has given me much better insight into how a large Society is structured and organised and increased my awareness of their activities. If you’re an ecologist looking for more opportunities then I highly recommend joining this committee.”