Networks Newsletter - November 2020
Dear Colleague,Welcome to the November Networks Newsletter, our way to keep our member network committee members and representatives up to date with RSC activities, services and new initiatives.
This month’s Newsletter contains:
- Upcoming Deadlines
- Upcoming Events
- Have you received the 2020 Annual Report form?
- Communications from across the RSC
- Latest updates on our policy work
03 November
03 November
03 November
10 November
12 November
24 November
26 November
30 November
30 November
30 November
30 November
30 November |
|
|
|
05 November
13 November
17 November
19 November
25 November
03 December
08 December
17 December |
|
|
| Have you received the 2020 Annual Report form? |
As hard as it to believe, 2020 is almost over, meaning it is time to consider the 2020 Annual Report!The Annual Report is a report on the activities of your committee during the past year. In line with the rules for member networks, all member networks must submit an Annual Report to the Networks team each year. The information from the reports is used by the Networks team to identify common challenges and opportunities for us to work on to support our networks. It is also used to report to the Member Communities Board (MCB) and as part of our formal charity reporting to demonstrate impact.While we appreciate that many of you have had to cancel or postpone physical events in 2020, we still need every committee to submit a report. In fact, we would like you to include information about events that have been affected by the pandemic so that we can fully understand the impact of Covid-19 on member network activities.We have sent the new 2020 Annual Report form to all member network Secretaries - if your network has not received the form please let us know! The 2020 form is a protected Excel spreadsheet - please watch our short introduction video to see how to complete it, and if you have any questions please get in touch. All of your feedback and suggestions will go into updating the 2021 report form, which we will share with you in January.
| Communications from across the RSC |
Here are updates about events and activities from our Outreach, Careers, Events, International, and Research & Innovation teams, as well as the Chemists’ Community Fund and RSC Publishing.RSC Inclusion and Diversity Forum 2020Further diversifying chemistry – a focus on race inequalityFriday 13 November 2020, 15:30-16:30 GMTThe Royal Society of Chemistry Inclusion and Diversity Forum 2020 will take place virtually on 8 December, with a focus on race inequality in the chemical sciences and the role that each of us has to play to ensure a working culture that is more inclusive and fair to everyone.
We will look at evidence of race inequality within the chemistry community, discuss the experiences behind the data, question the inclusivity of current systems and begin to investigate how to break down barriers. Our keynote lecturers will be Professor Christopher Jackson, Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu, Dr Yalinu Poya and Professor Robert Mokaya.
During this event, we will also present the new RSC Inclusion and Diversity Strategy to 2025 – Enabling Inclusive Access and Progression in the Chemical Sciences.
There will be the opportunity to hear from current Inclusion and Diversity Fund grant holders and learn from their community-driven projects that aim to address issues experienced by underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences.Find out more and registerSkills, the economy and Chartered ChemistsOver the last 18 months, we have been engaged in a review of our Chartered Chemist (CChem) award. During the review, we focused on maintaining relevance of the CChem award now and for the future across all chemical science sectors in industry and academia, improving access for those in SMEs, education and members not based in the UK whilst upholding standards for all.Please join us on Wednesday the 20th January for our key event celebrating the launch of our revised CChem award. Discussions will be centred on the role that skills and skills development have across the chemical science sector, and the role that Chartered Chemist plays in supporting this. There will be opportunities for you to contribute to the discussions where we will encourage you to share your perspectives about skills in the chemical sciences. We hope you can attend and help us make this the CChem event of the new year. Learn more about the programme and register hereRSC Hardship Grants for non-RSC membersThe RSC is currently offering one-off support grants to chemistry students and chemists who are not members of the RSC and whose financial situation has been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
We are offering one-off grants of up to £500 to chemists or up to £250 to those in full-time chemistry education or working as an apprentice.
To date we have been able to award in excess of 240 grants to those who were in urgent financial need.
We would be very grateful if you could help us make contact with chemistry students, postdocs and chemists, to encourage them to apply for these grants if they are in genuine financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19.
For any further information regarding this grant, please contact hardshipgrants@rsc.org
Royal Society of Chemistry members can contact the Chemists’ Community Fund directly by emailing us at ccf@rsc.org as we may be able to offer members an enhanced support package.RSC Science Divisions Online SymposiaJoin us for our free fortnightly online Symposia. You’ll hear about the latest research from our RSC Award Winners, alongside short talks from early career researchers and an opportunity to network online with colleagues.Find out more and register hereLGBT+ inclusivity – Building a better chemistry cultureThe sixth webinar in the Building a better chemistry culture series focuses on how the chemical sciences can best support and retain LGBT+ individuals. In advanced celebration of #LGBTSTEMDay, we will hear from LGBT+ scientists, who are also leaders in inclusion and diversity, to learn about the impact that being supported to bring one’s full self to work can have on scientific output and mental health.BSL interpretation is provided by Rachael Dance, Cambridgeshire Deaf Association.Learn more and registerCall for Content for Next Issue of Analytical MattersPlease let us know if you have any items that you would like included in the autumn issue of the Analytical Division newsletter, Analytical Matters. Submit your content hereHow to Volunteer in Schools: Best Practice for RSC MembersWe’re continuing to host training sessions to support Royal Society of Chemistry members in the UK and Ireland who want to engage effectively with schools. The one-hour session will be delivered online and will include hints and tips on what to expect in the classroom, ideas of how to promote careers in chemistry to young people and next steps to put everything into practice. Following feedback from previous successful events, these are repeats of these sessions. You only need to attend one event to obtain all the information.Learn more and save the date hereCCF Support Members with Care Home Top Up FeesThe Chemists' Community Fund can consider help with care home top up fees for RSC members, their partner or dependants who are required to contribute to the amount the local council pays to better meet their personal care needs.Please watch the video to find out how we can help and please do share within your local network, with any RSC member who may find this information useful.Watch the video to find out how we can help
| Latest updates on our policy work |
With a programme of activities spanning research funding, mobility of scientists, open access, chemicals regulation, teacher supply, curriculum and much more, our goal is to shape the development of policy relevant to the chemical sciences.Your views: Real Time REF ReviewA new study led by RAND Europe and involving researchers from Cardiff University and the University of Sheffield will conduct a real time review of REF 2021, evaluating researchers’ perceptions of the assessment process while they are preparing and submitting their work.
This study provides the opportunity for researchers in UK universities to give their views on the REF process and help shape and improve it in the future. This work will be used by policy makers to inform proposals for research assessment after the completion of REF2021. We encourage all members who are undertaking research in a UK institution that takes part in the REF to take this opportunity to influence national policy development and ensure that the experiences of the chemical sciences are captured. The timetable for this work is in-line with REF 2021 reflecting the pause to the exercise as a result of COVID-19. The study is currently due to close in mid-November and can be completed here
Find out more about the study on the UKRI website, or click the link below to have your say.Take your opportunity to influence national policy development
This Newsletter is sent to all member network committee members as a tailored communication; this blog post contains all of the information sent out. Please read the online version and get in touch with suggestions for what you would like included or feedback about what we've sent you!Send us your feedback Kind regards,
The Networks Team
Fiona, Aurora and Debbie
