Call for Nominations to Council 2025

Members of the Society are cordially invited to stand for nomination for the following roles, due to the retirement or being elected to new positions as indicated below: 

• Grants & Membership Chair and General Secretary: Dr Ali Fouladi has completed his term (1 position).
• Co-chair for Education and Public Engagement Committee: To support the current Chair Dr Erin Williams (1 position).
• Ordinary Council Member: Due to the retirement or election to another role of Prof Bruce Murphy, Dr Emma Lucas (Treasurer & Company Secretary) Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, Prof. Rod Mitchell, and Prof. Niamh Forde (3 positions). 

If elected full responsibility will start at the next SRF AGM, currently scheduled to take place on TBC Friday 10 January 2025 during the Fertility 2025 meeting.

What does the role of an SRF Council Member entail?

Successful candidates will be working alongside the Council Members, Journal Editors in Chief and Earl Career Representatives listed below.  At the AGM, all members of the Council will be invited to confirm their intention, given their current circumstances, to fulfil the next year of their term on Council.

Period of Office
Council Members hold office for a period of four years (except for the Chair who serves for 3 years).

Under the current constitution Trustees (all voting and Ex Officio members) may not be beneficiaries of the Society and are ineligible to receive, awards, grants, travel support and other such benefits available to members.

Attendance at meetings

Council Members are expected to attend Council Meetings and are also expected to serve on Sub-Committees* and could be asked to participate in future task groups.

*The Grants and Membership, Finance, Programme and Award, and Education and Public Engagement Sub-Committees

The foreseeable meetings are due to be held in 2025:    

2025:   Spring (usually May) and Autumn (usually November)
2026:   January (to coincide with Fertility 2026)

Council Meetings are held at a hotel in an accessible UK location, currently at Manchester Airport on Thursday/Friday, attendance will be required for both days. Committee meetings are held on Thursday afternoon, followed by a working dinner (the meeting is on location) the Council Meeting is held on Friday from 09.00 – 16.00. Overnight accommodation and food will be provided during the meetings and travel (economy) expenses reimbursed.

You should expect to attend all in-person and online meetings for the two working days allocated (including travel time for the Spring meeting). You will also be expected to attend an additional short Council meeting at the start of the annual joint Fertility Society conference in January. Council members are also expected to attend the Fertility conferences and perform duties prior to and during these conferences.  Council Officers will also meet virtually 3 to 4 times a year for approx. 2 hours and additional virtual sub-committee meetings will be called as required (approximately 4 times a year for 2 hours). Some committees may require extra in person meetings as advised.

Council Members are also expected to be available throughout the year to assist in ad-hoc decision making and have a key role in running and leading the Society, supported by the Secretariat.

Role as Charity Trustee

As a Member of the Council, you are taking on the responsibility as a Charity Trustee, whose responsibilities cover the following:

You and your co-trustees must make sure that the charity is carrying out the purposes for which it is set up, and no other purpose. This means you should:

• ensure you understand the charity’s purposes as set out in its governing document
• plan what your charity will do, and what you want it to achieve
• be able to explain how all of the charity’s activities are intended to further or support its purposes
• understand how the charity benefits the public by carrying out its purposes

To assist with your understanding of the Society, please refer to the Articles of Association and Byelaws which can be found under the “Who We Are” tab on the SRF Website www.srf-reproduction.org

Further details about the duties of a Charity Trustee can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-cc3/the-essential-trustee-what-you-need-to-know-what-you-need-to-do#trustees-duties-at-a-glance

 Eligibility (Articles of Association 47 – 50)

• Under the Society’s rules, eligible SRF Members (fully paid as of Friday 3 November 2024) may stand for election.
• Members who have previously served on the Council as an Officer may stand if one year has elapsed since the end of their previous years of service.
• Nominations must be supported by two references from two fully paid (as of Friday 1 November 2024) members of the Society. (For reference, a list of current Members can be found in the Members Area of the SRF website under “Notice of Elections”).
• Please note that under the current constitution Trustees (all voting and Ex Officio members) may not be beneficiaries of the Society and are ineligible to receive, awards, grants, travel support and other such benefits available to members.

 How to apply

Members wishing to stand for election must complete the Council Nominations form with their letters of recommendation to the SRF Secretariat via the SRF website.  Nominations must be submitted by application on the SRF member area by 09.00 hrs GMT on Monday 4 November 2024.

Please include:

• What you would bring to the role and goals for your term as a Council member Brief details about yourself including your research and interest in reproductive biology
• For Officer roles (Grants & Membership Chair and General Secretary and Co-chair for Education and Public Engagement Committee) previous experience in a similar and/or trustee role and knowledge of the Society is preferred.

• Nominees must obtain at least two letters of support from at least two SRF Members (who have paid for 2024 membership). Letters must be uploaded with their applications.
• Recent photo – head and shoulders.

Timeline

 Monday 4 November 2024 – Deadline for Nominations

Article 50.5

To be eligible for election candidates must be nominated by at least two Company Members and must be recommended for election by the Council. The Council will review all nominations and may invite candidates for an interview prior to being put forward to an election.

Week Commencing 11 November 2024. Candidate interviews as necessary.

Monday 18 November.

Providing the above, should the number of nominations put forward by the Council exceed the number of vacancies, then, as indicated in the Articles of Association Article 50.7 to 50.10, the Secretary shall issue voting instructions to each Full Member of the Society who has paid for their membership by Monday 4 November 2024.

Monday 16 December 2024:

Voting closes. Results of the elections will be announced at the AGM, nominees will be advised of the outcome prior to the announcement at the SRF AGM.

January 2025: The names of those successfully elected as Trustees will be formally announced at the SRF AGM.