About: volunteers

While a number of activities receive funds from external sources, as a non-profit organization IOCD is governed and operated by unpaid volunteers who contribute their time, expertise and enthusiasm to pursuing the mission. IOCD is currently seeking volunteers for a range of roles – both in relation to its activities to deliver its mission to promote the chemical sciences for sustainable development, and in relation to its internal governance, organization and management work and external relations. Details of these are set out below and can be downloaded here.

IOCD’s activities to promote the chemical sciences for sustainable development

Joining existing Working Groups

Our current activities (listed here) include five Working Groups, which are self-funded —they are expected to secure external resources to support their operations:

Chemistry Education
Chemists for Sustainability (C4S)
Green and Sustainable Electronics (GSE)
Materials for Energy Conversion, Saving and Storage (MATECSS)
Promoting the Chemical Sciences for Development

We welcome new volunteers who would like to contribute expertise, energy and ideas to these Working Groups. Those interested should send an email with CV attached, expressing their interest in a particular Working Group, to the Secretary of IOCD at <s.matlin“at”imperial.ac.uk> with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Working Groups’ included in the email subject line.

Establishing new Working Groups

We seek enthusiastic volunteers who want to launch new Working Groups. Those interested should initiate discussion with IOCD by sending an email with CV attached, expressing their interest and outlining ideas for the scope, activities and potential funding sources for the proposed Working Group, to <ceo“at”iocd.org>, with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Working Groups’ included in the email subject line.

Creating an activity on mentoring and professional development in the chemical sciences

Numerous societies and international organizations have launched mentoring programmes to support graduate students and early career researchers (ECRs). Due to our limited resources, we propose to offer mentoring and professional development to a selected number of ECRs in chemistry from the global South. Those interested in organising/conducting mentoring in the field of chemistry should send an email, with CV attached to <ceo“at”iocd.org>, with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Mentoring‘ included in the email subject line.

Evaluating essays in the framework of the IOCD annual Essay Competition

In 2023, we launched the first edition of our annual Essay Competition, Young Voices in the Chemical Sciences for Sustainability, which is open to entrants under 35 years. Details of the competition, which is sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, can be found here. The essays are all peer-reviewed by active researchers, scholars and professionals and we urgently need an increasingly large pool of evaluators from across the globe. Those interested in becoming an evaluator should send an email requesting an Evaluator Application Form, to <essay“at”iocd.org> with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Essay Evaluators’ included in the email subject line.

IOCD’s governance, organization and management work

Fundraising for the organization’s operations

As an independent, non-profit organization, IOCD depends entirely on donations, grants and, in certain cases, contracts to underpin its operations and finance its activities. We invite those with experience and expertise in fundraising to contact us to discuss ideas and possibilities, by emailing IOCD’s Treasurer at <philippe.lambin“at”unamur.be> with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Fundraising’ included in the email subject line.

Communications

IOCD seeks to develop its communications work, including through its website and the use of social media. We invite those with expertise in communications work who would like to volunteer to assist us to send an email with CV attached to <philippe.lambin“at”unamur.be>, with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Communications’ included in the email subject line.

Other organization functions

IOCD’s success over more than 40 years has depended on volunteers willing to give their time and expertise to plan, organize, manage, advise on and scrutinise the activities that are undertaken. Ranging from winners of international prizes for their outstanding work as scientists to less prominent individuals working across academia, government and industry, these volunteers have shared a commitment to IOCD’s mission to be a science for the benefit of society and a sustainability science. From helping with the governance of IOCD to managing its financial and secretariat functions and its engagements with a diverse range of public and private institutions, there are many ways that volunteers can contribute to IOCD’s internal functions and external relations, to ensue that it continues to play a valuable role in helping to solving global challenges. Those interested in contributing should send an email with CV attached to the Secretary of IOCD at <s.matlin“at”imperial.ac.uk> with ‘IOCD Volunteering: Organization Functions’ included in the email subject line.

Call for Volunteers

Introduction