SIG Info

Special Interest Groups are invited to hold meetings at the BSR Annual Meeting.  Unfortunately, as there are a limited number of meeting slots available, it hasn’t always been possible to accommodate all SIGs. This had lead to several justifiable complaints from SIG conveners regarding our previous “first come, first served” policy for booking SIG slots at the conference.

In response to this the Heberden Committee has agreed that there needs to be a proper transparent process for dealing with the allocation of SIG slots. We are now asking SIG convenors to apply for slots using a structured application form which includes a provisional programme. This will help the Heberden Committee prioritize applications when space is limited – although we still aim to accommodate as many SIGs as possible. It will also help with scheduling, since we are aware that many BSR members belong to more than one SIG, and we can avoid obvious clashes.

This process will be introduced for the 2009 Annual Meeting. SIG convenors will be informed of the closing date for applications and sent the application form well in advance.

If you have recently taken over leadership of a SIG please let BSR know; likewise if you’ve stopped let us know this and who the new convenor is. We don’t mind being told something twice – it’s critical that we have reliable lines of communication with SIG convenors.

Hill Gaston, Heberden Chair, BSR