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Genetics Society of America

Using the tools of genetics and genomics, nearly 6,000 GSA members from more than 50 countries around the world investigate a wide variety of biological questions and applications.

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Presidential Membership Initiative

The 2024 application cycle has now ended. Awardees will be contacted on November 11.

Overview

To be the most vibrant Society that we can be, it is imperative that we attract talented and creative individuals from diverse backgrounds. Ensuring that our membership encompasses a broad array of viewpoints and experiences is part of our approach to creating a more equitable and inclusive Society—and thus build a thriving scientific enterprise. This program is an invitation to early career scientists who may not otherwise have joined GSA; we want to enrich your career journey as you, in turn, enrich our community.

The Presidential Membership Initiative package includes:

    • Free membership for 2025 (in the appropriate career category)
    • Discounted membership for 2026
    • Abstract fee waiver for one GSA conference (single waiver good for 3 years)
    • Recognition in Genes to Genomes

Presidential Members will receive all benefits of GSA membership (including a subscription to GENETICS, discounts on publishing in GENETICS and G3: Genes|Genomes|Genetics, discounts on conference registration, attendance at GSA-sponsored workshops, and more). Additionally, they’ll benefit from access to networking resources within GSA and the opportunity to participate in the Early Career Leadership Program and the GSA Journals Peer Review Training Program.

Being part of the first cohort of the Presidential Membership Initiative was a transformative experience for my career. Through the PMI, I was introduced to GSA and received membership, which opened the doors to a diverse community committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The connections I made with geneticists from different subfields expanded my professional and support network. Inspired by this community, I later joined the GSA Equity and Inclusion Committee, where I deepened my understanding of DEI and found new ways to contribute to the field.

C. Eduardo Amorim, past PMI participant and former GSA Equity and Inclusion Committee member

Application Information

The short application focuses on the applicant’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as how the membership will enhance their career. Open-ended answers—listed below—are restricted to 750 characters including spaces (~100 words), so we recommend composing your answers in a word processing program before entering them into Survey Monkey.

  1. What are your career goals? How will a GSA membership enrich your career journey?
  2. Describe one major change you think is needed to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the scientific enterprise. How do you plan to use your career to help make this change?
  3. Please give an overview of your education and career path to date. You are welcome to include information about your lived experiences, including barriers you have faced and/or overcome.

The GSA’s Equity and Inclusion Committee will review the applications. Successful applicants will have career goals that align with GSA’s mission.

Applicants are encouraged to provide thoughtful, substantive answers to the open-ended questions. The committee is looking for statements that demonstrate the consideration applicants have given to their career paths, as well as their dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants are encouraged to use the full space given for answers to illustrate the unique assets they will bring to GSA.

There is no single “right” way to answer; however, successful answers express an individual point of view and demonstrate careful attention to the subject at hand.

Eligibility

This initiative is primarily designed to bring in new members. As such, eligibility is restricted to early career scientists who are not current (2024) members of the Genetics Society of America, were not members in 2023, and have not previously held membership for more than one membership cycle.

For this award, early career scientist is defined as a graduate student, postdoc, early-stage investigator (pre-tenure faculty), or early-stage staff scientist or industry researcher (5 years or fewer in a position). Undergraduate students may apply, although they are not eligible for the Early Career Leadership Program or the GSA Journals Peer Review Training Program. International applicants are welcome to apply.

Important Dates

  • September 3, 2024 — applications open
  • November 1, 2024, 11:59 p.m. EDT — deadline to apply
  • November 11, 2024 — awards announced

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a member of a historically excluded group to apply?

When will I find out whether or not my application was successful?

Can I receive my membership before the abstract submission deadline for the 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference (November 14)?

Do I need to be a US citizen?

Do I need to be a geneticist or enrolled in a genetics program?

I am an undergraduate student. Can I apply?

Who can I contact for individualized application support?

Who do I contact with additional questions?

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