One of the questions we hear most frequently from members is “how do I become more engaged with the society?”

Whether you are looking for leadership opportunities, developmental experiences, networking, or a chance to be more involved in divisions and committees, there are many opportunities for engagement in the work of the society.

Below are some of the ways you can contribute to ASPET while furthering your own growth and professional development.

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

• Order copies of Explore Pharmacology, ASPET’s booklet on careers, research, and other opportunities within the discipline, to hand out at your institution or at meetings
• Suggest educational resources for the website

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

• Nominate a colleague, peer, or yourself for an elected position 
• Vote in elections and bylaws changes 
• Volunteer to serve on an ASPET committee – contact committee chairs about potential openings

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)

Programs

• Undergraduates and faculty mentors: apply for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program 
• Graduate students and post-docs: apply for the Washington Fellows program 
• Graduate students and post-docs: apply for the Mentoring Network program; faculty: apply to be a mentor

Science Policy

• Contact your Congressional offices on the importance of appropriations for federally funded science agencies
• Write an op-ed piece in your local newspaper regarding the importance of biomedical research funding

Writing

• Propose a topic and submit a written article for consideration by The Pharmacologist; submissions can be sent to info@aspet.org 
• Contribute to PharmTalk, ASPET’s blog for young scientists; submissions for consideration can be sent to info@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 Facebook and Twitter and reading our NewsBrief; make sure you are receiving our direct emails as well