Having agreed our five-year Strategic Framework at our 2014 AGM , 2015 saw us gearing up to build our future capability as well as to deliver our existing activities . Our collective goals can be summarised as promoting excellence and creating networking and other opportunities for microbiologists in Europe and across the world . Our strategy focuses on 6 key pillars : research , education , policy , business , public engagement and internationalisation , our key role being to help our Member Societies serve the microbiology community through providing resources and opportunities , building capacity , and stimulating collaboration . To achieve these goals , we focused this year on networking , professionalisation and internationalisation , as well as exploring potential new revenue streams that can help maintain and develop our charitable activities .
Throughout 2015 we continued our long-term work on our publications , grants and events as well as our emerging activities in education . This year also saw us start to build new pilots and projects relating to business and public engagement , as well as devote increased attention to the needs and expertise of our membership . Our intention is to continue to build these activities in the coming years , and to start new lines of work relating to policy and internationalization .
RESEARCH
• First journal issues published with our exciting new branding
• Launch of cross-journal and cross-partner collections
• Celebration of FEMS2015 – our 6th Congress ; in Maastricht
• Brought in expertise from 163 expert speakers from 22 countries
• Awarded more than € 460,000 in grants
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Endorsement for the One Health initiative on AMR
BUSINESS
• Well-attended special session on start-ups at FEMS2015
• Initiation of new Business Development role to improve our sustainability
EDUCATION
• First special issue on Education in FEMS Microbiology Letters
• First all-day event at a FEMS Congress
• Brought 138 grantees – including 12 from Latin America – to FEMS2015
POLICY
Feedback from our members indicates a high level of interest in science and public policy issues
INTERNATIONALISATION
• Welcomed 16 new journal editors from Europe , North America , Latin America and Asia
• Renewed our MOU with our American counterpart , ASM
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MEMBERSHIP
A diverse community
Our membership continues to grow with the society, Mikrobiokosmos, from Greece bringing our
membership to a total of 53 organisations in September 2015. Our membership currently spans
36 countries across Europe and beyond – including Israel, Turkey, Armenia and Russia.
A profile of our newest Member:
The non-profit scientific society, MikroBioKosmos (MBK),
was established for all researchers in Greece working
on non-medical microbiology. It embodies the Hellenic
National Initiative for the exploration and commercial
exploitation of the microbial national resources, and
was formed in 2006 by a small group of non-medical
microbiologists. Its aim is to promote research in
environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, genomics,
bioinformatics and microbial biotechnology. With a key
goal of establishing effective international collaboration
across its members, MBK has organised six conferences to
date, the latest being held in Athens, Greece, in April 2015,
and attracting around 350 scientists.
Current activities include:
• supporting early career researchers in short term
research visits to other laboratories abroad
• co-organising scientific workshops and a biennial
conference
• connecting with other relevant societies globally
• sharing information on job openings in the field.
To date MBK has almost 200 regular, honorary and assisting
members. Its board is elected every two years, during the
society’s biennal conference.
POSSIBLE MEANS TO ADDRESS THESE
Professional Development
Education and Grants programmes
Funding & Professionalisation
Business Development and training
Recognition & Influence
Awards, connectivity and visibility
Networking and Community
Resource mapping, events and opportunities
ADDITIONAL ISSUES
10
With the exception of the Terra Nova strategic consultation in 2001, FEMS’ consultations with its Membership
has largely been limited to formal discussions with official Delegates at and around the Council meetings and
AGM. Keen to better understand our Members’ needs we launched a number consultation activities in 2014 that
continued in 2015 as follows:
• FEMS Grants Review Feb 2015
• FEMS Members website review March 2015
• FEMS Membership Review March 2015
• One-to-ones with Delegates and Presidents at our
Maastricht Congress June 2015
• Pre-Council consultation Sept 2015
• FEMS Member Society CEO consultatio 7B#P(
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