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Get Involved with ASPET

ASPET welcomes and values your time, talent, leadership and willingness to help advance ASPET's mission.

If you are interested in volunteering, please send an email to volunteer@aspet.org with the following information:

  • Your Name
  • Contact information
  • The roles you are interested in
  • A brief statement on why you’re interested in the role and your qualifications for the role (500 words or less)
  • Your CV or NIH-style Biosketch

Volunteers in Action

GET INVOLVED WITH ASPET!

I have ASPET to thank for playing such a strong role in my professional development and for the experiences I’ve gained through the Washington Fellows program, Science Policy Committee and Young Scientists Committee. A true testament to the value of scientific societies for early career scientists like myself.

Sophia Kaska, PhD

Sophia Kaska, PhD
Research!America

ASPET’s staff and my other colleagues have been so helpful in supporting and facilitating my volunteer opportunity. Serving on the Science Policy Committee is an opportunity to give back to an organization that was so helpful in my early career.

David M. Cabrera, MS

David M. Cabrera, MS
Van Andel Institute

I have enjoyed my participation in ASPET’s Molecular Pharmacology Executive Committee and Mentoring and Career Development Committee over the last year. I had the opportunity to interact with experienced scientists in the field of pharmacology and learn from them. I think that being involved in ASPET committees has helped me earn more interest in the society as they made me feel my time was well spent by facilitating a networking environment.

Kristan H Cleveland , PhD

Kristan H Cleveland , PhD
University of Washington

I am humbled to serve on ASPET’s inaugural Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee since 2023. Volunteering for the ASPET committee allowed me to serve and advocate for minorities, underrepresented trainees, and underserved communities and gain knowledge on the resources available to solve their needs. Being involved with the committee has been a rewarding and delightful experience building an academic career by integrating research and public service, especially by engaging with people motivated to support each other!

Mi Suk Bae, PhD

Mi Suk Bae, PhD
Duquesne Washington

A Variety of Volunteer Opportunities

Click on each committee to discover more about their respective committee charge and mission.

Committee

Chair & Vice Chair Options

  • Chair - Committee on Mentoring and Career Development
  • Chair - Young Scientists Committee
  • Vice-Chair - Partnerships Committee
  • Vice-Chair - Science Policy Committee
  • Vice-Chair - B. B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism Committee
  • Vice-Chair - P. B. Dews Award Committee

Other Opportunities to Get Involved

ASPET Meetings and Awards

  • Nominate a colleague, peer, or yourself for a scientific achievement award 
  • Submit a session proposal for the annual meeting
  • Attend the ASPET Business Meeting at the ASPET Annual Meeting 
  • Participate at your division’s online Town Hall meeting
  • Volunteer to help judge your division’s poster competition at the ASPET Annual Meeting by contacting your division chairs
  • Submit an abstract to the ASPET Annual Meeting
  • Give back to the community through the Day of Service at the ASPET Annual Meeting
  • Work with your division to propose a webinar

Divisions

  • Be sure to sign up for primary or secondary membership in divisions of interest
  • Send updates and ideas for consideration to your division’s Communications Officer(e.g., content suggestions for the web, news and achievements of fellow pharmacologists for Members in the News, LinkedIn discussion ideas)
  • Join your division’s LinkedIn group page if they have one so you can contribute to the conversation
  • Students and postdocs: apply to be part of your division’s best presentation competition(s) at the ASPET Annual Meeting

Education

Journals

  • Contribute; use what you know to benefit the entire discipline by submitting papers
  • Volunteer; put your time and talent to good use by volunteering to review for any of our journals 
  • Encourage your library to subscribe to ASPET’s journals or maintain the subscriptions they currently have

Leadership

Programs

Membership

  • Help grow the Society by participating in the Member-Get-A-Member recruiting program 
  • Join one of ASPET’s regional chapters 
  • Donate to any of our funds; contributions to ASPET funds help support research, travel awards, science advocacy and career development
  • Respond to ASPET surveys to help us improve your experience
  • If you are a department chair, encourage recruitment and/or participate in a recruitment campaign. ASPET can supply the chair with membership applications attached to a packet of membership information
  • Pass out ASPET marketing materials (e.g., member benefits pamphlet, brochures for programs of interest) to individuals you think would be interested (contact ASPET for details on obtaining materials)

Science Policy

Writing

  • The Pharmacologist, ASPET’s monthly, digital-only news magazine, features updates on Society affairs, articles of importance to ASPET members and announcements of upcoming events. Propose a topic and submit a story idea for consideration by The Pharmacologist. Submissions can be sent to thepharmacologist@aspet.org.
  • Contribute to Pharmaco Corner, the official ASPET Blog. Pharmaco Corner is a dedicated space where pharmacology experts can discuss issues that affect them professionally and personally. The blog connects science and society through various pharmacology disciplines. Send your pitches to pharmacocorner@aspet.org.
  • Volunteer to write articles or news updates for your division to appear in The Pharmacologist or on the website; contact your division’s communications officer.

More Ideas

These are some of the most common ways to get involved, but there are many possibilities for member engagement. We encourage you to reach out to us through info@aspet.org with your ideas. Here are some general tips to keep in mind:

  • Include detailed information in your request for getting involved, including specific aspects of the Society or area(s) of interest
  • Route your request appropriately; staff, division leadership and committee leadership are generally the most appropriate points of contact. If you need more help contacting a specific individual, get in touch with us via info@aspet.org 
  • Stay informed about opportunities by following us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Volunteering Faqs

Do I have to be an active ASPET member to volunteer?

Yes, opportunities to serve on a Committee, Division Executive Committee, or as a reviewer for the Annual Meeting are only available to active ASPET members.

How many opportunities can I apply for?

To allow as many members as possible the opportunity to volunteer, we limit each individual to volunteer for no more than three Committee or Division Executive Committee opportunities.

Can I sign up to volunteer for ASPET even if I’m not sure which opportunity I’m interested in right now?

Yes! At the end of the application, we ask if you are interested in hearing about other ways to volunteer at ASPET in the future. Just select “yes” and we’ll include you in future volunteer opportunities that might interest you.

How long do the volunteer opportunities last for? And when do they begin?

All Committee and Division Executive Committee appointments begin on July 1, 2024. Committee appointments last for three years. Appointments to Division Executive Committee roles vary for each division.

Volunteering opportunities for the Annual Meeting are for a much shorter duration. Reviewing abstracts typically occur in December and February with an average of 25-35 abstracts per reviewer. Serving as a judge for the Poster Competition occurs onsite during the Annual Meeting and occurs each evening for about two hours.

Chair roles last for three years.  For Vice Chair roles, the leadership term would last one year as Vice Chair with the expectation the volunteer would then serve a three-year term as Chair starting on July 1, 2025. 

Can I apply for the same committee that I'm currently serving on if my term is up at the end of the fiscal year?

Yes, though preference for selecting volunteers will be given to those who have not yet served.  ASPET policy allows for members to serve up to two consecutive terms.

What’s the process after I submit my application to the Call for Volunteers?

Applicants’ information will be provided to the current Chair of the respective committee you applied to. In consultation with current committee members, new committee members will be chosen and recommended to the ASPET Council for consideration. After Council approval, notifications are sent out to applicants about which committee or volunteer opportunity they have been selected for.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the process or if I encounter issues with submitting my application?

Please contact Yesenia Mendez, ASPET Governance and Office Coordinator, at volunteer@aspet.org for assistance.

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