7 ways to make the most of BSN membership as an ECR
The British Society for Neuroendocrinology (BSN) is a Society where Early Career Researchers (ECRs) from the UK and across the globe are welcomed and supported. Our membership offers excellent value at £10 per annum for students and £30 per annum for postdoctoral researchers. If you are an ECR who has recently become a BSN member or is thinking of joining the BSN, here are some ways in which you can make the most of your membership:
1. Apply for grants
The BSN offers a range of grants for ECRs, including travel (£150-£700) and research visit grants (£5,000), in addition to symposium support (£2,000), project support (£7,000), academic support (£10,000) and outreach grants (£500). Our grant schemes have a high success rate.
2. Come to friendly meetings for ECRs
BSN meetings are friendly and welcoming. Our Neuroendo Celebrate event on 9 December 2019 in Glasgow has been created especially for ECRs. The event will celebrate 30 years of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology as well as the future generation of neuroendocrinologists who will take the Journal to new heights in the next 30 years.
Our BSN annual meetings are preceded by an ECR day, previous highlights include a grant review workshop and media engagement talk by Dr Giles Yeo, President of the BSN and BBC TV star of Trust Me I’m a Doctor. Our 2020 Annual Meeting will be in Bordeaux, France, and will be run jointly with the Société de Neuroendcrinologie.
3. Apply to be the next BSN Deputy ECR Representative
Get involved with the Society, see how things work, and advocate for your fellow ECRs, whilst boosting your professional development by becoming the next ECR Representative. If you’re interested in applying, the role is open to all BSN ECR members. Deadline is 24 May 2019! Read more about how to apply.
4. Apply for the Michael Harbuz Prize
To honour the memory of Dr Michael Harbuz, the BSN awards this Prize to an outstanding member of the emerging generation of neuroendocrinologists at its annual meetings. The winner of the prize delivers a 30-minute lecture at the BSN annual meeting and receives a prize of £750. The winner is also invited to write an Early Career Researcher Review for the Journal of Neuroendocrinology.
5. Access the Journal of Neuroendocrinology for free
We are proud that the Journal of Neuroendocrinology (JNE) has consistently been the best place to publish cutting edge neuroendocrine research over the last 30 years. As a BSN member you can benefit form learning about the most recent neuroendocrine developments with free online access to JNE. JNE welcomes Early Career Perspective review articles from members and non-members and publishes them throughout the year. Find out how you can submit your review and get published in THE neuroendocrinology journal.
6. Look out for our upcoming mentorship scheme
The BSN is working on a mentorship scheme to match ECRs with established academics in the field of neuroendocrinology – sign up to our quarterly newsletter to find out more about when the mentorship scheme launches.
7. Learn from eminent neuroendocrinologists
We are building a range of resources for ECRs and those interested in neuroendocrinology. Our ‘Brainwaves’ interviews with established neuroendocrinologists explore their work, passions and tips for budding scientists – read our interview with Helen Christian whose work looks at the feedback mechanisms of stress hormones and Jane Robinson whose research has focussed on the programming of the reproductive neuroendocrine axis. Our new YouTube channel allows ECRs to watch lectures from our 2019 Annual Meeting. Watch Back to Your Future: Programming the reproductive neuroendocrine axis by Dr Jane Robinson, University of Glasgow, UK, and Hunger Games: New Insights into the Brain Control of Hunger by Professor Lora Heisler, University of Aberdeen, UK.
If you’re considering joining, sign up to our quarterly newsletter for free to find out more what BSN membership can offer you.
