Our Governance
The contributions made by the members involved in our governance structure are absolutely essential to the work that the Society does. Comprised of members across different fields, institutions, and career stages within microbiology, they work together with Society staff to form a cohesive network for discussion, information sharing, collaboration, and decision-making that drives forward the Society strategy and delivers quality activities to support our members.
As well as the great work they do for the Society, the members involved with our governance receive great opportunities for networking and professional development. We also find that many members of our governance structure really enjoy becoming more connected to the Society’s community while carrying out their roles.
Our governance structure is made up of several different groups, each of which has a specific remit within the broader Society strategy. We’ve explained a little bit about each of the groups within our structure and how they work together below, but really our governance is about people, so you can find out who they all are and read their full terms of reference by clicking into the relevant page.
If you ever want to know more, we are always keen to chat. Contact us at [email protected] about your areas of interest, and we can find the right person to help! You can also gain first-hand insights into the inner workings of the Society and the activities and decision-making processes of our key governing groups by participating in our Shadowing Scheme.
Board of Trustees
The Microbiology Society is a Company Limited by Guarantee and a Registered Charity. It is governed by a Board of Trustees who are also the directors of the company for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006. The Board of Trustees operates in compliance with the Society’s Articles of Association and Charity Commission guidance on good governance. The Board is comprised of the Society’s three Executive Officers (President, General Secretary and Treasurer) and three elected members, plus up to three external experts. The role of the Board is to govern the organisation provide the strategic direction of the Society and ensure its long-term financial sustainability.
Finance Committee
The Board of Trustees is also supported by the Finance Committee who provide advice and expertise in the management of all aspects of the Society's finances, including budgets, the investment portfolio, the Annual Report, the reserves policy and exceptional expenditure. It simultaneously works to ensure that the Society operates in a sustainable manner.
Audit, Risk and Evaluation Committee
The Audit, Risk and Evaluation Committee reports to the Board of Trustees, ensuring scrutiny and transparency in the financial management of the Society and provides assurance and recommendations to the Society on its governance and risk management framework.
Advisory Council
Advisory Council is comprised of the Society membership and is responsible for delivering active engagement and insights on behalf of the microbiology community. The Advisory Council reports to the Society’s Board of Trustees, who bear the legal responsibilities of Trustees of the Charity and Directors of the Company.
Strategic Committees
The Strategic Committees report to Advisory Council but take responsibility for designing specific programmes and activities to fulfil the strategy. The remit of each Committee is intended to interlink and overlap to ensure that relevant projects are considered from multiple perspectives where appropriate, however they also retain core areas of responsibility.
Building Communities Committee
The Building Communities Committee is primarily responsible for driving forward the key strategic aim to “enable our members to strengthen their existing relationships and gain access to new communities, unlocking the potential for knowledge exchange.”
However, it works across all areas of activity as it is also responsible for driving content themes for events and journals, and other activities to support all three main strategic objectives.
Impact and Influence Committee
The Impact and Influence Committee is primarily responsible for driving forward the key strategic aim to “advance understanding of microbiology and champion the contribution made by microbiology, our members and their work in addressing global challenges”.
It does this through increasing opportunities for members to communicate their work, raising the profile of microbiology and increasing the influence of the Society with the public, policy makers and other stakeholders.
Sustainability Committee
The Sustainability Committee has a variety of areas of focus. It is primarily responsible for driving forward the key strategic aim to “reinforce the Society’s long-term sustainability and resilience by diversifying income streams, increasing efficiency and ensuring robust governance” but works across the entire Society, and collaborates with other organisations as it develops the future leadership of the Society through professional development and membership engagement opportunities.
It also works to ensure the long-term viability of our operations through income diversification development via commercial and philanthropic means, which in turn supports all Society activities.
The Early Career Forum Executive Committee
Our Early Career Members are literally our future and so the EC Forum Executive Committee has an essential role in leading the work of the Early Career Forum, ensuring that early career members and their views are included across all Society activities by having representation across all other Committees and Divisions. They also work to bring early career issues to the fore to ensure the Society is fully supporting the future of microbiology.
Members Panel
The Members Panel is a group of members from underrepresented communities who convene to bring their perspectives to Society activities to ensure everyone is welcome and that Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is at the centre of everything we do.
Panels
The Panels oversee specific Society activities.
The Scientific Conferences Panel is comprised of the Chairs and Chair-elects of Divisions and is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the scientific conferences programme.
The Publishing Panel is made up of Editors-in-Chief and Deputy Editors-in-Chief of the Society Journals and is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the operational aspects of the journals programme.
Both report to the Building Communities Committee and are each chaired by one of the Committee co-Chairs to ensure thematic cohesion between these two key areas of Society activity.
Divisions
The four Divisions; Eukaryotic, Irish, Prokaryotic and Virus, play a significant role as they plan the scientific content for the Society's conference and events programme and ensure that we are representing microbiology in its widest context. Our events are a vital cornerstone of the Society, a huge benefit to our members and essential to promoting and supporting the discipline. Each Division is comprised of members with expertise in specific areas of the discipline and/or regional representation to ensure our content is attractive to and supports the myriad of specialisms within our membership.
Job descriptions and terms of references
Trustee Board
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Elected Member of Trustee Board Role Description - 2025.pdf
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General Secretary of the Microbiology Society Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Treasurer Role Description - 2025.pdf
Advisory Council
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Elected Member of Advisory Council Role Description.pdf
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Elected Member of Advisory Council and EC Forum co-Chair Role Description.pdf
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Appointed Member of Advisory Council and Building Communities Committee co-Chair Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Appointed Member of Advisory Council and Sustainability Committee co-Chair Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Appointed Member of Advisory Council and Members Panel co-Chair Role Description - 2025.pdf
Committees
Sustainability Committee
Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference 2025.pdf
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Appointed Member of Advisory Council and Sustainability Committee co-Chair Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Sustianability Committee Member Role Description.pdf
Building Communities Committee
Building Communities Committee Terms of Reference 2025.pdf
Impact and Influence Committee
Impact and Influence Committee Terms of Reference 2025.pdf
Members Panel
Members Panel Terms of Reference with co-Chairs Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Appointed Member of Advisory Council and Members Panel co-Chair Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Members Panel Member Role Description - 2025.pdf
Early Career Forum Executive Committee
Early Career Forum Executive Committee 2025.pdf
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Elected Member of Advisory Council and EC Forum co-Chair Role Description.pdf
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Early Career Forum Executive Committee Member Role Description.pdf
Divisions
Virus Division
Microbiology Society Terms of Reference - Virus Division.pdf
Eukaryotic Division
Microbiology Society Terms of Reference - Eukaryotic Division.pdf
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Eukaryotic Division Chair and Chair Elect Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Division Member Role Description.pdf
Prokayotic Division
Microbiology Society Terms of Reference - Prokaryotic Division.pdf
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Prokaryotic Division Chair and Chair Elect Role Description - 2025.pdf
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Division Member Role Description.pdf
Irish Division
Microbiology Society Terms of Reference - Irish Division.pdf
Other