Networks Newsletter - January 2021
Dear Colleague,Welcome to the first Networks Newsletter of 2021! The Networks Newsletter is 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
- A message from the Networks team
- Communications from across the RSC
12 January
14 January
18 January
26 January
28 January
29 January
31 January
31 January
31 January
01 February
01 February
10 February |
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07 January
20 January
21 January
27 January
04 February
18 February |
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| A message from the Networks team |
At a recent member network committee meeting the Chair asked how everyone was feeling "on a scale from 1 being tired to 10 being almost comatose", and we couldn't help but feel that that summed up 2020 perfectly.2020 put incredible strain on all of us, both personally and professionally. As we look forward to 2021 we would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support over the last ten months, and to let you know that if you need us, we're here to help.2020 Annual and Financial ReportsWhile we appreciate that many of you cancelled or postponed events in 2020 and thus have little or no activity to report, we still need every committee to submit their financial and annual reports. For the Annual Reports, we ask for up to date committee information in the Committee section of the form. Even if you have nothing to report, please provide this information so that we can ensure our records are accurate. In fact, where relevant, 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.The 2020 form has been designed to be easy to complete, while also streamlining the collection and collation of the information you provide. You can watch our Introduction to the 2020 Annual Report form video to see how to complete the form, and please send any feedback about the form to us so that we can implement it in the 2021 process.For the Financial Reports, please note that your 2021 grant will not be released until we receive your 2020 paperwork - this still applies even if your committee did not spend any money in 2020. Please ensure that the signed reports are returned to networksfinance@rsc.org by 10 February 2021.
| 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.Did you miss our online event discussion sessions?We hosted four online discussion sessions in December with the opportunity for committee members to share their experiences and learn from each other. We were delighted with the level of engagement and enthusiasm for the sessions and hope to share the outputs in the coming weeks.In case you missed them, you can watch the recordings from the four sessions here:
Diversity data report 2020Collecting and understanding data is key to improving diversity in the chemical sciences – as is transparency.
This is why our Diversity data report 2020 examines diversity across the breadth of our organisational activity – including membership, governance bodies and committees, prizes, grants, education, publishing and more.Download the reportNew year, new Brand Centre allocationEvery member network has a dedicated annual budget on the RSC Brand Centre to use on promotional items - this budget reset on 1 January.Key things to remember:
- Local Sections and Interest Groups receive £400 annually, AD Regions receive £300 (funded by the ACTF)
- Postage is included in the allocation - please note that as there is no payment step postage will be added after you order has been placed
- For international Local Sections, we will pay the postage for your first order on top of the £400 allocation
- If you've not logged in in a while your account might have been paused - contact the Networks team to have it reset
- Any 2021 overspend will be taken out of the 2022 member nework grants
- FAQ and other resources are available on the Useful Forms and Documents page
Log in to the Brand Centre herePrizes – two weeks left to nominateDo you know an individual or team that deserves recognition?
For 2021, we’re excited to introduce the first of a series of changes to our prizes in response to our independent review last year. These changes bring to the fore the importance of teams and collaborations, as well as the diversity of people and contributions that are important for 21st century science.As well as the research and innovation prizes, our Volunteer Recognition Prizes celebrate those who go above and beyond to form communities and support and inspire others. This is your chance to recognise an individual or committee who has initiated a novel way to engage with or support your community. And please remember: if you don't make diverse nominations then we won't have diverse winners!Explore the 2021 prizes and nominate before 5pm (GMT) 18 January 2021Inclusion and Diversity Fund supports 15 projects through its special call supporting the Black chemistry communityThis year, we created a special call through our Inclusion & Diversity Fund for projects that specifically focus on breaking down barriers faced by Black chemists. We received 65 applications, of which 15 projects were funded around the world including 11 in the UK.A video of the some flash presentation highlights of these projects and other race-focused projects was shown as part of the Inclusion and Diversity Forum 2020: Further diversifying chemistry—a focus on race inequality, which was held on December 8.Outside this year’s special call for projects, the ID Fund continues to support projects including those focused on improving the ethnic diversity of the chemical sciences. Learn more at rsc.li/id-fund.Watch the highlights of race-focused projects supported by the ID FundTailored events for international audiencesEach year RSC staff plan events outside the UK to support and engage with our international members. In 2020 many of these events were moved online, and several new online events were created.As a result, our Publishing, Careers, Education and international teams can now offer you bespoke events for your members - perhaps you would like one of our editors to discuss Open Access publishing? Or a member of our Careers team to plan a ChemCareers workshop?Take a look at the international events on the Events Database for ideas and contact us if you would like to know more.Ask the Networks team about an event for your membersRegistration for #RSCPoster opens 1 January - spread the word!Registration for #RSCPoster, the Royal Society of Chemistry’s flagship virtual conference, opens in January and we’d be very grateful if you could spread the news to your members. The event is free to register for and spans all research areas within the chemical sciences, enabling chemists of all disciplines, locations and career stages to come together, engage in scientific discussion and network with their peers. Participants will also be able to submit their #RSCPosterPitch - a short video to present alongside their poster and provide a more immersive virtual experience.In 2020, the event saw around 5000 individuals tweeting from around 60 countries, and with your support, we hope 2021 will be even bigger and better. Contact the team at rscposter@rsc.org to learn how your committee can get involved!
Measuring Cancer Earlier - Expressions of interest welcomeConnecting Analytical Scientists and Cancer Researchers Friday 05 February, 10.00 – 13.00The Royal Society of Chemistry Analytical Division and Cancer Research UK are hosting an online workshop and networking event to bring together analytical scientists and cancer researchers to facilitate new collaborations for early cancer detection research.
Our keynote speakers, Sam Janes (University College London) and Molly Stevens (Imperial College London), will give their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for developing new tools for the early detection of cancer. CRUK early detection sandpit award recipients, David Carter (Oxford Brookes University) and Bhavik Patel (University of Brighton), will share their experiences of the collaboration.
The remainder of the programme will focus on workshops and structured networking to enable the communities to connect with each other.Learn more and express your interest on the event page by 13 JanuaryRegistration is open for the 2021 Schools’ Analyst CompetitionThe annual competition for Year 12 (or equivalent) students will be run differently in 2021 - we are providing kits for schools to host their own event for up to ten teams of three. Bursaries are also available for additional items.
Each school will be provided with certificates and prizes for the winning team. Winning entries will also be entered into a regional competition, where the best overall entry will also win a prize for their school.Schools can register their interest before 26 February
This Newsletter has been tailored to you, but the full version can be found on the Networks Newsletter blog. 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 feedbackStay safe,The Networks Team
Fiona, Aurora and Debbie
