Nominations for Leadership Positions

Each year, the Nominating Committee develops a slate of candidates for leadership positions that end at the conclusion of the annual meeting. This includes open seats on the Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee, and on alternating years for President-Elect and the Student/Postdoc Representative. See the responsibilities for each of these positions below.

To support their efforts and to help the Society maintain a Board of Directors that represents the diversity of the membership, the Nominating Committee seeks input from the INS membership. They welcome and appreciate both self nominations and nominations of colleagues.

Nominations are now being accepted for the following open seats:

The deadline to submit new nominations and nomination materials has passed.

Advisory Vote

INS members can recommend candidates for these open seats through the advisory vote. Before voting, please review candidates' submitted materials.

Ballots are due by September 8, 2023 at 5:00pm EDT / 21:00 UTC. You must be an INS member to vote, and you may vote only once. This is a non-binding vote taken into consideration by the Board.

Ballot

Eligibility

Nominees for the Board, the Nominating Committee, and for Student/Postdoc Representative do not need to be current INS members. Nominees for President-Elect are required to be members in good standing for three (3) consecutive years immediately prior to their nomination.

While membership is not a requirement, an essential component of one’s candidacy for any leadership position is previous involvement in Society activities and/or engagement with the neuroethics community and relevant scholarship, advocacy, or activism. (See more about evaluation criteria below.)

We encourage all nominees to join the Society or renew their lapsed membership when preparing their nomination materials and documents. All successful candidates invited to serve in a leadership role are required to be INS members in good standing throughout their term.

Self nominations are welcome and encouraged, and we appreciate nominations of colleagues whom you feel should be considered for these opportunities.

Contact INS staff <[email protected]> with questions regarding eligibility.

Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated using four criteria categories: scholarship, involvement, contributions to diversity and inclusion, and vision.

The nomination form includes one open-ended question pertaining to each of these categories. Nominees are encouraged to reference the full set of Leadership Candidate Evaluation Criteria (pdf) prior to filling out the nomination form and submitting documents.

Diversity and Inclusion

For all leadership appointments, the Society welcomes nominees from underrepresented communities and marginalized groups, including women, people identifying as LGBTQIA+, disabled persons, and people living in or originating from Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Nominees are encouraged to highlight any aspect of themselves — including identity, national origin, personal or professional experience, or other considerations — relevant to our efforts to better include, support, and/or empower underrepresented communities.

Details about scholarship; involvement in neuroethics and/or the Society; contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion; and vision can be addressed when answering the open-ended questions included in the nomination form. Within these statements, nominees are also encouraged to highlight if they are a first-generation scholar, or if they have experience with: multidisciplinary scholarship; scholarship that contributes to knowledge about diverse and/or indigenous communities; and/or community engagement or activism involving neuroethics-related topics.

The International Neuroethics Society is dedicated to fostering a professional community in neuroethics committed to the principles of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and fairness. A core objective of the Society is to create spaces where people feel a sense of emotional and intellectual safety, and are empowered to participate in the free exchange of scholarly ideas. For all activities and events, the INS is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful, and harassment-free environment, in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

Submit Nominations

We encourage our membership to submit nominees to be considered for these open seats. As you propose nominees, consider the responsibilities of the respective positions and the Society’s commitment to the principles of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and fairness.

You may nominate yourself or a colleague. If nominating a colleague, please let them know that you have nominated them for this opportunity so they have time to prepare their CV and written statements for their nomination submission. INS staff will contact the nominee as soon as possible to inform them of your nomination and to request the required submission materials.

Submit nominations through the nomination form (Google). For a complete list of questions required to be completed by each nominee, reference the corresponding document (docx). If for any reason you cannot access or successfully submit the online form, fill out this document and return it by email to INS staff <[email protected]>.

The deadline to submit new nominations has ended. Nominees may still submit nomination materials through Monday, July 31.

Nomination Form

Selection Process

The Nominating Committee will review all nominees put forth by the membership. Committee members will review all submitted application materials and confidentially discuss each nominee.

After evaluating all nominees, the committee will develop a slate of candidates to present to the membership for an advisory vote. The slate of candidates for Board positions must include at least five (5) and no more than ten (10) possible members — dictated by the number of open seats. The advisory vote is held in August. The results of the advisory vote are not binding, in compliance with the California laws governing the corporate status of the INS.

Informed by the results of the advisory vote and further discussion, the Nominating Committee will provide a written recommendation to the Board regarding candidates for the open seats available this year. The Board takes this recommendation into account in their discussions, and votes by secret ballot to select candidates for the open seats.

Candidates selected for appointment will begin their terms of service in coordination with the annual business meeting of the Society.

Open Seats

For each of the following open seats, the Nominating Committee provides a list of candidates for the Board to consider. Their slate of candidates and recommendation is informed by the nominees submitted by members and the results of the advisory vote of the membership.

Board of Directors

There are five (5) seats on the Board open for appointment. The current Board members whose terms expire in November 2023 are Laura Cabrera, Joseph J. Fins, Karen Herrera Ferrá, Philipp Kellmeyer and Anna Wexler. Current INS President Joseph J. Fins has reached the term limit and cannot be considered for another appointment — although he will continue to serve on the Board for one (1) year in the role of Immediate Past President. Laura Cabrera, Karen Herrera Ferrá, Philipp Kellmeyer and Anna Wexler are eligible for reappointment.

Nominating Committee

There are two (2) seats on the Nominating Committee open for appointees from the general membership. The current Nominating Committee members whose terms expire at the end of this year are Syd Johnson and Cynthia Kubu. Both are eligible for reappointment, however Cynthia Kubu has elected to not seek reappointment.

Student/Postdoc Representatives

There is one (1) position of Student/Postdoc Representative to be appointed in November 2023. The current representative whose term expires at the end of this year is Olivia Matshabane. She is eligible for reappointment. The candidate selected will serve a 2-year term.

Responsibilities

Board of Directors

The Board is responsible for ensuring the long-term stability and integrity of the organization, and members are expected to foster the continued viability and growth of the organization. The responsibilities of Board members are to:

  • Attend and participate in in-person and teleconferenced Board meetings.
  • Pledge to contribute resources for the organization in the form of sponsorships, donations, identification of partners, and other funding opportunities in recognition of the necessity of diverse income sources for the sustainability and growth of the Organization.
  • Promote the Society’s visibility to peers, colleagues and communities, including in speaking materials, communication with other organizations/individuals, and in Society credentials on personal and affiliation websites and social media.
  • Serve on at least one Society Committee or Task Force each year and/or chair a function, meeting, or similar endeavor.

Nominating Committee

The responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to:

  • Suggest new candidates for Board membership to replace those Board members with expiring terms or for a seat that is otherwise open.
  • Recommend a slate of candidates including at least as many possible members as there are openings on the Board, and up to twice as many as there are openings on the Board.
  • Take into account the needs for balance and diversity in the membership of the Board.
  • Solicit and nominate President-Elect candidates to the full Board of Directors.
  • Review nominees from the general membership to the Nominating Committee before the election.

Student/Postdoc Representative

Appointed by the Board of Directors, the Student/Postdoc Representative serves as the chair of the Student/Postdoc Committee and is responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee, appointing new members to the committee in coordination with the Faculty Mentor, and reporting to the Board on the interests of student, trainee and early-career members of the Society.

Under their leadership, the responsibilities of the Student/Postdoc Committee are to:

  • Represent the interests of trainee members of the Society.
  • Oversee and adjudicate the Neuroethics Essay Contest.
  • Make recommendations to the Board regarding initiatives for student and post-doc members.
  • Coordinate communication and outreach efforts through the website, newsletter, and other media.
  • Cultivate membership through strategic communication.

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