Get Involved

Open Volunteer Opportunities

Membership Committee

PRIM&R is seeking to fill two seats on our Membership Committee, a committee of our Board of Directors*. This group works to strengthen our membership community by improving the reach of member benefits and volunteer opportunities.

Responsibilities of Membership Committee members include:

  • Completing a three-year term beginning January 1, 2022
  • Participating in approximately six conference calls per year
  • Reviewing applications for PRIM&R’s Regional Connections Program
  • Working with PRIM&R staff to evaluate member benefits and new initiatives
  • Attending membership-related events at conferences

Applicants must be current PRIM&R members to be considered, and must maintain an active membership status throughout their appointment. To apply, please email the following documents to membership@primr.org by October 31, 2021:

  • A cover letter that includes a 300-word description of why you are interested in becoming a member of the Membership Committee and how you could contribute to its work
  • A current CV or resume

If you have any questions, please contact the membership team. We look forward to receiving your application!

*Please note this position is a committee-only appointment and does not convey Board status on the successful applicant.

PRIM&R Online Community

PRIM&R Seeks Volunteer Community Moderators for IACUC Channel

The PRIM&R Online Community is a community for PRIM&R’s audience to connect and provide support, guidance, and education on the ethical, regulatory, and policy concerns experienced by research administration and oversight personnel. PRIM&R strives to create an atmosphere for open and respectful conversations and exchanges about issues of mutual interest to participants.

To help us reach this goal and implement our Community and Etiquette Guidelines, we’re seeking one to two members to volunteer as community moderators for our IACUC Channel.

Responsibilities of volunteer community moderators include:

  • Ensuring the Community and Etiquette Guidelines are being followed by all in the community and reporting anything that does not adhere to the guidelines to PRIM&R.
  • Reviewing new posts to ensure they encourage engagement or ask a question.
  • Reviewing any posts reported to the moderation queue and approving or rejecting each one.
  • Reviewing library additions weekly and maintaining organization (creating folders, filing resources, etc.)
  • Communicating with the author(s) of any rejected post to provide feedback on the reason(s) the post(s) were denied from the community.
  • Maintaining activity by responding to any posts that have not received a reply within one week or posting a seed question.

If you’re interested in the opportunity to be a volunteer community moderator for the IACUC Channel, please contact community@primr.org by October 31, 2021.

PRIM&R’s Research Ethics Digest

PRIM&R seeks four volunteers to develop and write a featured column in Research Ethics Digest, our bi-monthly electronic member publication that delivers timely and relevant abstracts and full-text articles from a wide array of scholarly journals to PRIM&R members. Each column will present a scenario faced by IRBs and HRPPs, followed by thoughtful, scholarly, and practical analysis and guidance that will provide members with a deep dive into specific situations that are particularly complex or ambiguous.

Responsibilities of volunteer column writers include:

  • Serve on a team of two to develop two unique columns that explore a scenario faced by IRBs and HRPPs and provide analysis, advice and potential solutions 
  • Review and provide feedback on two columns drafted by one other team of two volunteers

This work would take place between December 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022.

To apply, please email the following documents to membership@primr.org by October 31, 2021.

  • A cover letter that includes brief description of why you are interested in serving as a volunteer column writer for Research Ethics Digest
  • A current CV or resume

We look forward to receiving your application!

Ways to Get Involved

From conferences to committees to online content, our programming wouldn’t function without your support. Volunteering with PRIM&R is a great way to get involved and be a leader in the research ethics community. Some volunteer commitments are large, others small, but all are vital to our shared mission. Below you'll find a list of our current volunteer opportunities. 

Draft a guest post for our blog, Ampersand, about a topic of your choice that's in alignment with PRIM&R's mission. For example, you might write about your work or share practical tips and tools with our community. Blog posts are typically 300–500 words and are usually written in a casual style. For more information on guest blogging, please take a look at our guest blogging procedure and our guest blogging agreement.

Estimated time commitment: Three to four hours per contribution.

Submit a Guest Blog Application

 Be part of a team of dedicated PRIM&R members who help share insights from our conferences, short-course programming, and webinars throughout the year. As a PRIM&R Blog Squad member, you will receive complimentary registration for the courses or programs you selected during the application process.

Blog Squad members can apply to cover conferences, short-courses, or webinars. Conference and short course Blog Squad members compose a series of blog posts before, during, and after the event by responding to a set of prompts. Webinar Blog Squad members compose a blog post after attending a PRIM&R webinar to highlight a particular concept, issue, or topic of interest raised during the program. The PRIM&R staff then edit the contribution(s) and publish them on Ampersand, PRIM&R's blog.

For more information on the PRIM&R Blog Squad and how to apply, visit the Blog Squad page.

Estimated time commitment: One to two hours per blog post, in addition to time required to attend the event

PRIM&R hosts a poster program at each of our annual conferecnes highlighting scientific or programmatic posters and promoting interdisciplinary sharing and collaboration, and the exchange of ideas, information, and practical strategies for managing the many challenges faced by research professionals. We invite those conducting empirical research in the fields of human subjects protections and animal care and use, or those who have implemented a program to improve the functioning of their institution's research review committe to submit abstracts.

For more information on submitting a poster abstract, please visit the conference web page for the event at which you’re interested in presenting a poster.

*All poster abstract submissions will be considered for the Pillars of PRIM&R Outstanding Poster Award. Poster authors may also have the opportunity to share their research/program on PRIM&R's blog.

Estimated time commitment: Three to four hours to prepare the initial abstract, plus the actual presentation time at the conference if your abstract is selected by the planning committee

PRIM&R periodically solicits proposals from the community for in-person and online programs. These include calls for:

Conference Session Proposals

Contribute session ideas for consideration by the conference planning committees for inclusion on the annual conference agendas. For more information on submitting a session proposal, visit the conference web page for the event at which you’re interested in presenting a session. Applications are available six to nine months before each conference, and submissions must be received by the deadline listed in order to be considered.

Estimated time commitment: Two to three hours per contribution, plus the actual presentation time at the conference if your proposal is selected by the planning committee

Webinar Proposals

PRIM&R offers approximately 12 webinars per year on a range of topics in the research ethics field. Each year, we solicit proposals for webinars on intermediate- and advanced-level topics of interest to those who work in human subjects protections and animal care and use. We invite you to help us develop these webinars by submitting to the Call for Webinar Proposals. Whether you are a veteran presenter for PRIM&R, a past webinar attendee, or new to PRIM&R or the field, we want to hear from you!

Estimated time commitment: Submit a proposal (1-2 hours), and if selected, the time it would take for you to prepare your presentation (variable), participate in three planning calls (3-4 hours), and present the webinar (2 hours)

Committees are an important part of PRIM&R’s leadership. Committee seats are announced as they become open. To find out if a particular committee is accepting applicants, check out your most recent issue of PRIM&R This Week or the PRIM&R Member Newsletter. Please note, most committee calls for applicants are open near the end of each calendar year.

Diversity Advisory Group Member 

The Diversity Advisory Group is a volunteer body that advises the PRIM&R staff on strategies for fostering a diverse membership community and works to raise the profile of diversity as an issue that matters to the broader research oversight field. This advisory group is tasked with:

  • Participating in approximately four conference calls per year
  • Working with staff throughout the year to develop policies and initiatives that support the growth and development of PRIM&R's diversity efforts
  • Attending diversity-related sessions and events at conferences

Estimated time commitment: One to three hours per month

Membership Committee Member 

The Membership Committee, a programmatic committee of PRIM&R’s Board of Directors, is charged with cultivating leaders from within the membership. Committee members participate in conference calls, meet up at PRIM&R conferences, and correspond via email throughout the year to strategize ways to improve member benefits and grow the membership community. In addition, committee members agree to:

  • Complete a three-year term
  • Participate in approximately six conference calls per year
  • Work with staff to develop policies and initiatives that support the growth and development of PRIM&R’s membership
  • Attend membership-related events at conferences
  • Review applications for PRIM&R’s Regional Connections Program

Estimated time commitment: One to three hours per month

If you have a question, please contact the membership team at membership@primr.org.

At each of PRIM&R's annual conferences, we may seek volunteers to assist with event preparation, networking opportunities, first-time attendee orientation, and more. For more detailed information about open volunteer opportunities, vist the webpage for the conference you plan to attend.

In the past, these opportunities have included things like:

  • Conference greeter
  • First-time attendee breakfast discussion facilitator
  • Exhibit booth attendant
  • Walk/run leader

 We want to learn more about our dedicated members' experiences in the field. If you are interested in sharing your story with the PRIM&R community, please send us an email and we will send you a member interview to complete. Your responses, as well as a headshot and a brief bio, will be posted on our blog, Ampersand.

Estimated time commitment: One to two hours to complete interview

 Provide advice and guidance to, and share knowledge with, colleagues in the field of human or animal research oversight. Help prepare the next generation of leaders or collaborate with another PRIM&R member in a similar professional role by joining our Mentoring Program. Start by filling out our Mentoring Program survey to identify your personal areas of interest, institution type, and goals for the future. Based on this information, PRIM&R staff will match you with another member from our community. 

Estimated time commitment: One to three hours per month

 Submit book or article reviews, informative features, or professional milestones for publication in our monthly PRIM&R Member Newsletter. Feature articles should be no more than 500 words and present information that may be of interest to PRIM&R members. Please note: articles must be submitted by the first Friday of each month in order to be considered publication for that month’s newsletter. Interested? Contact us to discuss article ideas.

Estimated time commitment: Two to three hours per contribution

 Plan and execute a networking event with PRIM&R Regional Connections to collaborate with colleagues who work nearby. Past events have included networking receptions, book groups, short lectures, and policy discussions. PRIM&R offers funding, from $250-$1000, to help defray the cost of these events, and will work with you throughout the planning process. Learn more on our Regional Connections page.

Estimated time commitment: One to four months of planning, preparation, and follow-up, in addition to hosting the event itself

Share the resources you use every day to help other research ethics professionals do their jobs more effectively! Post tools, templates, worksheets, checklists, flowcharts, forms, and standard operating procedures from your institution to PRIM&R's Resource Library.

To submit content for consideration fill out this form.

Estimated time commitment: Half an hour per submission

Ready to Help?

Interested in these or other volunteer opportunities? Contact the membership team to get started.