|
|
|
|
In my last message, I talked about the ECNP Networks and how important they are to the key mission of ECNP. This time, I have again chosen an ECNP-centric topic, namely what keeps a College like ours together. What makes you sign up as a member – and what makes you remain as a member of ECNP?
A recently published survey on the results of a learned society membership generated some interesting key points. According to the five years of data from the annual Wiley Society Member Survey, the value of scholarly societies to their members continues to be due to access to valuable content, career support, and a sense of community.
But as the world is changing, so are the incentives for scientists to stay members. One important change that was seen since the last survey is that open (i.e., free) access to journal content has become an issue of central importance. The push for greater openness and transparency, increased collaboration, and a more ethically aware publishing process is especially coming from students and early career researchers. Early career researchers are also motivated to join societies to access content and gain career support and connections in the wider subject community. They are also more inspired by increased collaboration and sharing, high standards for publishing ethics, and being connected to a society’s ethos and mission.
Other things have not changed. Members still highly value easy access to educational materials and research, support for career development, and immersion in a collaborative community. This is encouraging, and the last several years’ steady growth in registrations at the annual ECNP Congress shows that electronic media have not been able to replace the need for personal meetings and the networking opportunities that a physical meeting can offer.
As the survey ends up concluding, a one‐size‐fits‐all society member growth strategy is not possible as members are too diverse to be satisfied by any single member engagement strategy. The key to ECNP’s strategy is a thorough understanding of our members and continued dialogue with members to ensure that any strategy is fulfilling their needs.
As have our sister colleges CINP and ACNP, ECNP has distinguished fellow members. ECNP Fellow members are appointed by the Executive Committee, in recognition of scientific distinction and notable contributions to the College, and currently, there are 55 ECNP Fellow members. The role of the Fellow is to be actively engaged in the College, by sitting on committees, participating in ECNP Networks, lecturing at ECNP Seminars, or hosting young visiting scientists in their lab or clinic. We strongly believe in the mutual benefits between ECNP and its Fellow members. As with our scientific Networks and working groups, the Fellows in our college constitute the backbone of the scientific rigor and excellence that ECNP represents.
Maybe you want apply to become an ECNP Fellow member? You can read more about it here.
Gitte Moos Knudsen
ECNP President |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
