• The International Society of Quality-of-life Studies

Women from low-income countries may hesitate to participate in conferences due to the high cost of travel and accommodation, especially for international conferences, in addition to the high conference participation fees. Research societies can encourage participation by providing various forms of financial support to such scientists; for example, the International Society for Quality-of-life Studies offers a travel grant to ensure increased participation of women from developing countries.

• Cell Symposia

One of the primary reasons for lack of participation in conferences is the varied responsibilities that many women face with regard to childcare. Conference organizers can take these factors into account and create a more inclusive environment for parent delegates. For example, Elsevier has set up a Family Support Award for early-career researchers attending the 2023 Cell Symposia. This award comprises a childcare grant that can take care of local childcare costs and basic expenses of an accompanying caregiver. Apart from this, conference organizers can also arrange for small nursing rooms within the premises of the conferences. Conference organizers can gain an understanding of their attendees’ and speakers’ needs through ongoing sustained communication.

• The American Society for Virology, and others

A study on four prominent virology conferences, including the American Society for Virology Annual Meeting, revealed a direct correlation between female representation in the organizing committee, and the number of women participants in the conference. This is not surprising, since women are better equipped to empathize with the many challenges that women scientists normally face and may therefore be able to devise and implement different ways to make the conference more welcoming to women. Additionally, the presence of women in the organizing committee provides encouragement and support for women interested in participating in the conference.

• Nature Conferences

Since 2019, Springer Nature has put forth an open declaration on avoiding all-men panels (i.e., manels) in  any events hosted and co-hosted by Springer Nature, including the Nature conferences. Academic societies worldwide today agree unanimously on the need for a balanced representation of women in discussion panels. Other academic societies and publishers too will likely need to implement similar measures to improve representation of women in their conferences.

• UK Society for Endocrinology

In order to address the lower participation of women attendees in discussion or Q&A sessions, the UK Society for Endocrinology has laid some ground rules for their annual conference. These rules include having more sessions chaired by women and having the first question of the session asked by a female audience member. This intervention was shown to not only enhance the intrinsic self-confidence of women but also increase the number of women participating in the remaining part of the discussion.

• Society for Social Studies of Science

Fostering connections between younger and more experienced women is one effective way to boost women participation in conferences. This helps the first-time attendees to become more comfortable in socializing and networking and can help maximize their returns on the conference. The Society for Social Studies of Science has developed a similar mentorship program to pair up tenured professors with non-tenured professors, non-tenured professors with post-docs, and post-docs with graduate students.

• Schizophrenia International Research Society

The Schizophrenia International Research Society has set up a comprehensive code of conduct for its annual meeting, with special emphasis on zero tolerance for sexual harassment. Often quite underrated, this is probably the most important factor that can promote higher participation of women in academic conferences. Young women, especially graduate students and first-time attendees, continue to face harassment, bullying and discrimination. Organizers can work towards providing a safe space through their events so that women can utilize the benefits of the conference in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Boosting the participation of women in conferences is one of the most important ways in which academic societies can improve gender diversity in science, which ultimately leads to more accurate research, unique and innovative research ideas, and a more robust talent pipeline in STEM.

The post Improving women’s participation in academic conferences: <strong>7 strategies used by research societies</strong> appeared first on CACTUS.

• Researchers generally belong to more than one society, to harness the right mixture of benefits.
• Common reasons for a member to leave their current society include lack of funding, lack of professional value, insufficient education opportunities, and limited career advancement support.
• In this era of digitalization, members prefer to be a part of society that caters to their specific content and connection needs through a mix of communication channels.

In response to declining membership and other revenue pressures, societies have begun to relook at member experience. Here are some trends we have observed:

• Customized content for member subgroups

Most societies have rich content resources, which they can harness to cater to the information needs of specific member subgroups. For example, the Academy of Management has started the Doctoral Student Development Program, curated specifically for their doctoral student members, which offers the members access to video lectures, information about research methods, and insights on data analysis techniques.  The American Physical Society uses newsletters to share timely updates with members specializing in different subfields, such as astrophysics and condensed matter physics. Customizing and curating content is beneficial for both member engagement and society revenue (for instance, repurposed content can generate additional income for the society through sponsorships and advertising).

See also: How the American Society of Clinical Oncology used infographics to cater to the information needs of kidney cancer specialists

• Novel networking models and solutions

Although some societies had explored virtual networking or conferencing solutions even prior to 2020, it is undeniable that the lockdowns and travel bans during the Covid-19 pandemic significantly boosted the popularity of virtual conferencing. Even after in-person events resumed, societies have not given up on the virtual component of networking and conferencing, including the opportunities offered by social media. Conferences like the 2023 International Precision Medicine Conference and the 2023 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science have a virtual component. The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) offers their members an array of virtual events, such as multi-day virtual conferences revolving around different scientific topics and career development. Societies are also embracing virtual solutions for small-group networking, such as the e-communities set by up the Society for American Archaeology.

See also: Seven ways to improve your virtual networking event

• Enhanced membership value  

Some societies have provided monetary incentives for their members as part of their membership benefits. For example, the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) has offered their members a discount on article processing fees for ASBMB’s three open access journals. Similarly, the American Astronomical Society offers their members access to subsidized personal insurance packages. The Royal Statistical Society offers members discounted prices for titles from prestigious publishers, including Routledge and Oxford University Press.

See also: Building Long-Term Membership Value and Member Stickiness: How Societies are Catering to the Needs of Financially Struggling Members

• Renewed interest in social justice and equity

Researchers, particularly early career researchers, have become increasingly vocal about various social causes, ranging from fighting racism and discrimination to championing open science. Societies have offered members the opportunity to show that they care about issues beyond their immediate research interests, by setting up task forces or subcommittees to address specific issues. For example, the Royal Society of Chemistry has organized numerous events on how chemistry researchers can contribute toward sustainable development. The American Chemical Society has set up a DEIR (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect) team that runs various initiatives, including developing an inclusivity style guide.

• Increased international focus

Virtual conferences during the Covid-19 pandemic saw a record number of international attendees. This has sparked increased interest in attracting members outside the society’s home country or region. Societies have set up various initiatives to attract international participation and membership, such as the American Physical Society’s matching membership program for researchers in developing countries. Similarly, the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA)’s International Subcommittee has undertaken various projects to address the education needs of international members, translate various AGA information resources, and organize symposia in collaboration with similar societies in other countries. 

With the changing research landscape, societies are looking at new ways in which they can provide value to members and improve member satisfaction. While delivering against the various needs of member segments can be challenging, many societies have already shown that they can innovate and devise novel solutions to improve member experience, thereby boosting member engagement and retention.

Early career researchers are a crucial part of any academic society. Find out ways to engage with and leverage their skills in this whitepaper.

The post How Academic Societies are Reinventing Membership Experiences appeared first on CACTUS.

• Identify the target audience

What is the target audience that you wish to reach through this initiative? Answering this question should take precedence while planning strategies for effective execution. This includes taking an overview of: their preferences of knowledge dissemination (online v/s offline), age group, educational/professional backgrounds, and level of understanding with regard to core technical terms, etc. This will enable you to include the right combination of terminology and tone in your content.

• Build a strong ‘story’ but avoid misrepresentation

The fastest and easiest way for your research to reach the public is through a story that the audience can relate to. However, while doing this you need to be mindful to not exaggerate or include wrong information and/or fall prey to clickbait-oriented strategies of knowledge dissemination. The key is to find a balance between building an attractive narrative around the research findings, while keeping it as close to the scientific data as possible. One tip for establishing this balance is to have a team containing scientists as well as content developers belonging to a non-scientific background. Members with a non-scientific background can help convey the lay perspective to the scientists, while the latter can ensure that there is no compromise on the scientific integrity and quality within the generated content.

See also: How Research Societies and Institutions Can Improve Public Health Literacy on The Monkeypox Outbreak

• Use different formats strategically

While research dissemination has been long taking place through print, digitalization has paved the way for use of other formats which may be equally and/or much more effective in reaching out to the public. You can use the data regarding the target audience demographics to understand the format that can best be used to reach your target audience. For example, if you are reaching out to a predominantly online audience in a younger age bracket, it might be wise to use videos or infographics that can easily capture and retain their attention in the fast-paced online world. To reach out to audiences that prefer offline information, it may be helpful to conduct interactive sessions or workshops, where the audience can experience science beyond the lab.

See also: How Societies and Research Institutions Can Use Comics for Outreach and Engagement

While the above list is not exhaustive, it can definitely help journals and publishers get started with the preliminary planning for their research promotion initiatives. The era of public science communication is only just starting, and every small step is helpful in raising scientific awareness and understanding in society.

How has academia adopted and adapted to various digital platforms? Find out in this whitepaper.

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