Opportunities for junior members at the ERS International Congress 2016

As the 2016 ERS International Congress in London is approaching, we would like to highlight that there will be various opportunities to get involved in the Junior Members Committee (JMC; soon to be renamed the Early Career Members Committee) during this meeting. Getting involved in the JMC does not require you to be well-known or established within your field, but instead to be engaged with the Society and the possibilities it provides for junior and early career members. You can become involved in the JMC by putting yourself forward for nomination at one of the forthcoming elections for this committee.

In London, over 50% of JMC members will end their 3-year mandate, meaning that there will be new elections held in assemblies 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 11. The elections for new assembly representatives on the JMC committee will take place within the respective assemblies either prior to or during the assembly meetings at the ERS International Congress. The exact procedure depends on the Assembly Head, so if you wish to stand for election or require more information about the process please contact your Assembly Head or Assembly JMC representative (http://juniors.ersnet.org/who-are-we). Irrespective of whether you wish to stand for election, it is important to visit your assembly meetings as a junior member for an update on your assembly’s initiatives and to get to know other junior and senior researchers within your field! The responsibility and devotion shown by the JMC are major reasons why the ERS has invited us to get involved in various ERS initiatives. The JMC members who are ending their 3-year mandate in London have worked on the following specific tasks: Education Council, various HERMES (Harmonised Education in Respiratory Medicine for European specialists) initiatives, Guidelines Committee, ERS/European Board for Accreditation in Pneumology accreditation committee, Executive Committee, Annual Congress Programme Committee, Fellowship and Award Working Group, Lung Science Conference Programme Committee and collaborations with the European Lung Foundation. In addition, the position of JMC Chair will be open for election in London.

The most important thing to remember is that although it is rewarding, you should stand for election for the JMC not just for yourself, but for other junior members who may not be ready or skilled enough to take the position. The 3-year mandate of a JMC committee member requires extra work and travel, but it is a really mind opening experience that allows you to connect with the ERS staff, leadership and members. Moreover, it will build both your professional and social network, and will leave you with new collaborations and friendships for life.

Based on our experience, a good JMC member is a devoted person who is ready to invest time and heart into ERS initiatives. The commitment of previous JMC members means that we have been able to convince the ERS Executive Committee of the importance of JMC members involvement in the society; therefore, junior members are now routinely invited to participate in most, if not all, ongoing ERS processes, including (co-)chairing sessions, reviewing abstracts and preparation of major sessions at Congress. Recently, JMC members were also invited to represent ERS on international and intra-society collaborations, such as giving talks at external conferences including the Chinese Thoracic Society and the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The most recent and highly appreciated initiative was the ERS presidential invitation for a JMC representative to take part in the ERS stakeholder consultations. Clearly, these developments show that the ERS is investigating in its future.

During the ERS International Congress in London, two professional development workshops organised by the JMC will take place on September 6, 2016: a session devoted to becoming a successful young researcher in an era of opportunities; and an ERS Fellowship Career Development Session followed by the ERS Young Scientists Networking Evening. The session entitled “Becoming a successful young researcher in an era of opportunities” will highlight the relevant work of the JMC and explain how our committee can support junior investigators and clinicians in the development of their research profile, projects and collaborations. This session is followed by the ERS Fellowship Career Development Session that will present and discuss the current ERS fellowship schemes as well as some highlights, tips and tricks from past and present fellows. The session will end in the ERS Young Scientists Networking Evening where all juniors and seniors can mingle, network and relax.

A number of the professional development workshops may also be of particular interest to junior members. The first workshop, entitled “Navigate your publishing process”, aims to provide the audience with a starting point for writing a paper worthy of publication; an understanding of the current publishing landscape and some of its most recent changes; and to provide a “behind the scenes” glimpse of the editorial and peer-review process as well as advice on maximising the impact of published research. The second workshop is entitled “Combining the clinic and research” and aims to provide the audience with an understanding of how to obtain a good scientific resume without losing touch with their clinical work, and how to maximise opportunities that combine clinical and scientific training opportunities.

We encourage all junior members to attend these activities and to engage with their own assembly JMC representative during either the assembly meetings or the organised activities. We look forward in seeing you in London!