Honorary Membership Review Panel

Honorary Membership is offered by the Society’s Council to distinguished microbiologists who have made a significant contribution to the discipline of microbiology and/or the Society.

Nominations for Honorary Membership are sought from Council members at the September Council meeting of each year to be submitted to the General Secretary by the end of October.

The Honorary Member Review Panel is comprised of four members of Council (including the General Secretary in the Chair) and members are approached subsequent to the initial receipt of nominations so as to ensure no conflicts of interest between panel members and candidates. The panel is appointed to reflect the diversity of Council’s membership, particularly in relation to:

      a. Gender balance, and insofar as possible, other legal protected characteristics

      b. Spread of disciplinary expertise

      c. Inclusion of both appointed and elected members of Council

      d. Inclusion of both members who have served on a panel before and those who have not.

      e. Insofar as possible, balance of geographic spread of panel members, particularly in relation to the balance between members from the UK and Ireland.  Where appropriate, it has added additional members to ensure geographic representation.

The panel remotely discuss the nominations submitted, being mindful of Council’s statement on equality and diversity, and present a recommendation to Council for discussion in December. 

A maximum of two Honorary memberships are awarded each year, with the expectation that in most years, there will be no more than one.