Volunteering opportunities

Micro-volunteering

We understand that often members want to support our activities but don’t have the time or the means to get to specific activities. Below are some suggested opportunities for how you might start to get involved with our campaigns and activities without it taking too much time.

Support us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

We value advocates on social media who can help to amplify our reach. By sharing our activity you are spreading the word, encouraging the next generation and providing support to your peers.

Use the links below to join us and use #Time4Chem to tell us what you’re up to in the chemical sciences:

Twitter – Follow us, re-tweet us or tell us what you’re up to
Facebook – Like us and share our posts
LinkedIn – Share our posts and write your own on our group page

Current campaigns

We invite our members to get involved with our campaigns and contact their local MPs on local and national chemical sciences issues.

If you have any questions about volunteering then please get in touch by emailing us using the link on the left hand side.

Short term/one off

We understand that our members often want to support our activities but do not have the capacity to get involved long term. Below are some suggested opportunities for how you might get involved in some short, discrete activities that could help you in developing new or using your current skills and networking with other members.

Chemistry World contributor

Our monthly magazine, Chemistry World, often contains letters, blogs or articles written by members. If you would like to find out more about how you could contribute then let us know.

Local Section seasonal support

Sometimes our Local Sections send Christmas cards to members in their region. If you would like to help in writing and organising them then we can put you in touch with your local representative.

Outreach engagement opportunities

Through our network of education co-ordinators and outreach funded projects we are often able to offer opportunities to our members to participate in schools and public engagement in their local area and often within their area of science expertise.

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the above or are interested in volunteering generally then please get in touch by emailing us using the link on the left hand side.

Peer to peer support

Volunteering is a great way to support other members through their career while also developing skills that may benefit your career. Below are some suggestions for how you might consider getting involved.

CChem mentoring

Our Chartered status award requires members who have already been awarded CChem status to become mentors for other prospective Chartered Chemists. Do you work with someone who you know would like to work towards their Chartered status or maybe someone that you would like to encourage to begin the process?

Mentoring

Our mentor scheme provides you with the opportunity to give back to others who are earlier on in their career and use your expertise and skills to help them as well as support your own professional development.

CCF Volunteer visitor

Our Chemists’ Community Fund relies on our volunteer visitors who play a major role in providing support for individuals on a local level. Visit support is subject to local requests and demand can be unpredictable and fluctuate, but when we do receive requests for support, we aim to meet the needs as quickly as possible and ensure we have enough trained volunteers in a local area to support this.

Local section and interest group committee

Through volunteering on a committee you can be involved in organising events for your community and providing that level of networking support

Academic and Industry representatives

Our workplace representatives support their peers in finding out more about their membership and also coordinating visits from RSC staff.

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the above or are interested in volunteering generally then please get in touch by completing this form or emailing us using the link on the left hand side.

Science

Often our members want to get involved with our activities to support the areas of science that they are passionate about. We offer a number of opportunities where you can volunteer your time to support different initiatives such as:

Subject communities

Our subject communities bring together members with similar scientific and professional interests, including those from across our interest groups, to advance their subject areas. Members may be from different sectors, career stages, disciplines, and locations. Each subject community is led and represented by a community council, which provides expertise and advice and identifies opportunities related to their field. Our community councils act as advocates for their areas of science, input to our thought leadership and policy work and develop activities for their community.

Interest groups

These are scientific networks themed around a specific area or application of the chemical sciences and are each run by a committee of members that have put themselves forward to be considered for the committees. They support members of their groups by providing activities such as conferences, events and funding opportunities.

Chemistry World contributors

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the above or are interested in volunteering generally then please get in touch by completing our form or using the contact details on this page.

Location

Geography is a key factor in deciding how and what you can get involved in. Below are some suggestions of how you might be able to volunteer your time in our activities close to you.

Chemists’ Community Fund support

We have three distinct roles available for how members can get involved with and support the Chemists’ Community Fund.

• CCF Ambassador
  An advocate for the programme, amplifying our reach within our Member Communities, proactively raising awareness of the CCF to other members.
• CCF Local Section Coordinator
  Provides a vital link between Local Sections and the CCF, identifying engagement opportunities and working closely with the CCF Ambassadors to ensure we raise the profile of the Fund to our member community
• CCF Volunteer Visitor
  Plays a major role in our support for individuals on a local level. They offer personal contact, to help us really understand an applicant’s situation and a regular touch point to members of our community who require support.

Committee member of local section

Our Local Sections are run by a team of committee members passionate about providing support through events and activities local to them

Outreach engagement opportunities

Through our network of education co-ordinators and outreach funded projects we are often able to offer opportunities to our members to participate in schools and public engagement in their local area and often within their area of science expertise.

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the above or are interested in volunteering generally then please get in touch by completing this form or emailing us using the link on the left hand side.

Shape the RSC

There are many members who give their time to supporting us as an organisation in developing our strategy and ensuring that our core activities continue to run and be a success. These opportunities range from ones which can be entered into at the start of your career or maybe later on as you gain experience and can lend your expertise. Some of these areas are:

Boards and Council

We have a number of different boards that help guide and council that govern our society that consist of elected members

Committees

For example interest groups, local sections, funding committees and science division councils are all run by members who are either elected or put themselves forward to help support the activities.

If you’re interested in finding out more about any of the above or are interested in volunteering generally then please get in touch by completing this form or emailing us using the link on the left hand side.

Informing Policy

Often our members want to get involved to provide evidence and insights to support the development of policy in the areas of science that they are passionate about. We currently have two open opportunities for you to get involved in:

Environment & Regulation Collective

Our Environment & Regulation Collective is a group for members who want to provide their evidence and insights to help us inform and shape UK government policy on environmental policy and chemicals regulation – this includes UK and international chemicals policy topics where the chemical sciences has a critical role to play. Join up and you can contribute as and when you want and in return we’ll keep you informed of our policy work and how we’re using it to help evolve UK government policy and let you know about any workshops or round tables that we are organising.

Research and Development Landscape Collective

Our Research and Development Landscape Collective is a group for members who want to provide their evidence and insights to help us inform and shape UK government policy on research and development (R&D) – everything from funding for R&D to commercialisation of research, international collaboration, mobility of researchers, open science and research culture. Join up and you can contribute as and when you want and in return we’ll keep you informed of our research and development landscape policy work and how we’re using it to change UK government thinking.