Volunteer with the Science Council
Volunteering with the Science Council helps other potential registrants become professionally registered. It also provides you with an excellent CPD opportunity.
Ongoing opportunities
We are always keen to welcome more people into these roles. If you are interested, please contact us for a conversation about them.
Registrant Champions
Encourage others at your place of work to become professionally registered by becoming a Registrant Champion. Find out more.
You must hold a professional registration award to volunteer in this role.
Assessors
Help uphold the standards by assessing applications for Science Council professional registration. Find out more.
You must hold a professional registration award to volunteer in this role.
Applicant Support Mentors (ASMs)
Facilitate professional registration workshops for potential and current applicants. For further information email [email protected].
Meet our current applicant support mentors.
You must hold a professional registration award to volunteer in this role.
Licence Reviewers
Help the Science Council conduct License Reviews of our Licensed Bodies.
Other ways to get involved
Other ways to get involved include volunteering at events and forums, giving talks, or contributing though case studies and personal stories. For further information email [email protected].
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the overall leadership of the Science Council, and in partnership with the charity’s constituent Members setting its values, standards, aims and objectives and delivering them in line with the objects of the Royal Charter. The Board is responsible for ensuring that the Science Council functions within the legal, regulatory and financial requirements of a registered charity.
Subcommittees
The Science Council Board of Trustees delegates various functions to its three sub-committees:
- Registration Authority
- Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
- Nominations Committee
If you have an interest in a particular governance area and would like to explore current vacancies, please visit our vacancies page or contact Oli O’Hanlon.
Board of Trustees FAQs
The role of the Board of Trustees is to:
- ensure that the Science Council has a clear strategic focus
- ensure that the Science Council fulfills its charitable objectives
- ensure that the Science Council complies with its legal and regulatory requirements
- act as guardians of the charity’s assets, both tangible and intangible, and ensure the financial stability of the organisation
- monitor and hold management to account
The Charity Commission, our Royal Charter and Bylaws, our Trustee Role Description and our Trustee Code of Conduct set out the responsibilities of trustees.
Trustees serve for an initial three-year term.
There are normally four board meetings per year, held quarterly and set around the charity’s financial reporting cycle. Board meetings last approximately 3 hours.
In addition to formal meetings, trustees may also be required to serve on individual board subcommittees, working groups or be invite to represent the Science Council at external meetings and events.
Trustees are expected to attend the Annual General Meeting, which is normally held in June or July.
It is every applicant's responsibility to receive consent from their employer, if necessary, that it is willing to release the applicant for the time commitments involved.
Anyone can become a trustee of the Science Council as long as they have the energy and commitment for the role.
It is worthy noting that sixty percent of Elected Trustees will come from Member Bodies. They will be either members or employees. Up to 40% of Elected Trustees will come from outside the membership and must not be employees or members of Member Bodies.
Trustees are elected by our Member Bodies, with each Member having one vote. Ballot forms containing the name and other relevant details of candidates for election are sent to every Member Body of the Science Council at least four weeks prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
The Board values diversity and actively encourages applications from a wide range of backgrounds and roles to stand for election.
Applicants will be asked to provide details of their current post and summary of their career to date, a personal statement, a summary of their suitability to join the Board, and an up-to-date photo. This information will be circulated to Member Bodies to provide them with the necessary information to make a decision on your suitability for the role.
After the application deadline, the Nominations Committee will review the applications received against the Board's skills requirements. The Committee will then make a recommendation to the Board, which will then put forward candidates to election.
New trustees are expected to participate in trustee induction sessions. This will include meeting with the Chief Executive, Governance Manager and the Chair of the Board.
New trustees will also be invited to attend Board committees to get a better understanding of the work they do in support of the Board. Throughout their term of office, trustee's are encouraged to undertake training, and attend conferences and events to equip them with the knowledge needed to discharge their duties.
If you would like more information on becoming a trustee please contact Oli O’Hanlon.
