Call for Applications: OWSD Executive Board 2021-2025

For the first time in OWSD's history, in 2021 the voting process for selecting OWSD executive board members will be entirely online. 

*Please note that only Full members approved before June 11, 2021 will be eligible to vote in the elections for OWSD Executive Board 2021-2025. Approval time usually takes a few days, but can take up to 2-3 weeks. 

Call opens 15 March and closes 7 April 2021 at 23:59 CEST (GMT +2).

Available positions on the OWSD Executive Board (2021-2025)

The positions available on the OWSD Executive Board for 2021-2025 are:

• President (from any Region);
• four Regional Vice Presidents;
• four Regional Members.

The four OWSD Regions are: Africa, Arab countries, Asia and Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean.  

The tasks of the OWSD Executive Board

Executive Board members are elected by OWSD Full Members at least three months prior to the OWSD General Assembly. Their term of office shall last four years. They can be re-elected to serve a second term. 

All OWSD Executive Board (EB) members shall be engaged in the following:

• Strategic vision and planning: Provide input, revise and approve OWSD strategic plans, including the mission, purpose (objectives) and vision statements.
• General Assembly:

               i. Approve the dates and the venue for the General Assembly, to be held every four years (when possible) and as soon as possible after elections of the new Executive Board.               
              ii. Approve the General Assembly programme drawn up by the OWSD Secretariat in consultation with the OWSD President.

• Annual work plans and programme implementation: Approve the OWSD Secretariat's annual budget and work plan developed according to OWSD's mission, available resources, donors’ guidelines and UNESCO rules and procedures.
• National Chapters (NCs) and membership: Help to identify OWSD members interested in establishing National Chapters in their countries and institutions interested in hosting them; and participate in the approval of national chapter applications for their specific region.  Once chapters are established, the respective regional EB members ensure the terms of service (see National Chapter Guidelines) are respected, and participate in decisions in case of disputes on their governance. EB members may be invited to attend and participate in launches and events organised by national chapters, represent international OWSD in a local framework and support NCs in possible negotiations with key local partners; may use their wide knowledge of OWSD programmes to suggest and support links among the OWSD Network. 
• Regional coordination:
  • Provide members with guidance and support for the organization of activities
  • Support fundraising campaigns and opportunities
  • Explain rules and procedures
  • Present OWSD programmes and resources to NC Executive Committee (ExCom) and NC Members as requested by NCs (e.g. eligibility criteria for PhD applications, how to apply online, available training opportunities)
• Visibility and representation: Seek out strategic opportunities through scientific and other professional networks to represent OWSD at regional and international networking and women in science and technology events. EB members shall liaise with regional bodies and partners such as TWAS, UNESCO and donor Regional Offices in coordination and collaboration with the Secretariat. EB members may use diverse platforms to render OWSD visible to their national and regional audiences, explaining how OWSD, through its various programmes, is improving and enhancing the role of science in the developing world; EB members will often be invited by OWSD-affiliated groups to give presentations on behalf of OWSD.  
• Public relations and outreach: Generate interest in OWSD and aim to grow its reach regionally and internationally by using existing and new contacts; advocate for the Organization with different stakeholders and networks, including governmental bodies, international agencies, national groups, and others as appropriate. If opportunities for fundraising arise, work together with the Secretariat to pursue and potentially secure new resources for the members and national chapters to carry out OWSD's mission.
• Support the OWSD Secretariat: EB members may be called on to represent OWSD

            i. during official meetings with partners;

           ii. in the selection of PhD and Early Career fellows, in appropriate disciplines;

          iii. as trainers or mentors for OWSD workshops;

          iv. at the AAAS ceremony for the OWSD-EF awards.

 

 

The role of OWSD President

In addition to EB roles described below, the OWSD President shall:

 Support the OWSD Secretariat staff:

• keep in regular (monthly) online contact with the OWSD Coordinator. Through the Coordinator, the President receives updates on the work being done at the OWSD Secretariat in Trieste and responds to enquiries or requests for support concerning OWSD programmes and the National Chapters;
• sign off on selected official communications as requested by the OWSD Secretariat;

Participate in governance functions:

The OWSD President

• is the default Chair of the OWSD executive board, which meets in person once a year in a venue to be decided each year. She is therefore responsible for developing the Agenda with the OWSD Secretariat, reviewing all documentation and chairing sessions of the meeting;
• is an Observer of the TWAS Steering Committee, which meets in person once a year in Trieste, Italy; 
• may participate as Observer in the OWSD annual review with donors, which meets in person once a year in Trieste, Italy (at the same time as the TWAS Steering Committee); 
• shall be responsible for ensuring ethical integrity in her own actions and assist the Vice-Presidents and Regional Members in ensuring the same integrity applies to the actions of the Executive Board.

To fundraise, the President:

• may collaborate with staff in Trieste to undertake fundraising activities.

Additional skills, experiences, and competencies required for the post of the OWSD President:   

• Strong—and evident—belief in OWSD's mission and ability to communicate how women, science and development are connected and contribute to improving economies and well-being
• Evidence of recognition as an excellent international scientist
• Ability and experience in communicating current research on the challenges facing women in science from developing countries and possible solutions
• Excellent public speaker, excellent spoken English
• Public relations expertise and competence, diplomatic and negotiating skills
• Strong leadership qualities and proven experience at leading teams
• Successful academic career with significant international presence/reach
• Experience as member of governing (or similar) bodies or committees
• Broad knowledge of the characteristics of STEM disciplines
• Experience in fundraising is desirable

The roles of Vice Presidents and Regional Board Members

Typically, Regional Members take on more responsibility for the OWSD memberships (including supporting the establishment of new National Chapters) while the Regional Vice Presidents may be selected to represent OWSD on request at regional events. However, the two work in close contact with each other and can divide their tasks according to their interests and commitments.

EB Vice Presidents and Regional Members shall therefore:

• be prepared to use every opportunity that presents itself to champion the cause of OWSD and to publicize the Organization's achievements.
• assist the President of OWSD to promote networking and fundraising and, whenever possible, liaise with ministers and state leaders in the region to raise awareness about OWSD opportunities for women scientists in their countries.
• attend launches, meetings and activities of National Chapters at the request of the NC executive committees, and if available to do so.
• endeavour to attract funding to host one Executive Board meeting in her region.
• work with national chapter representatives in the region to organise and host a regional meeting or conference for OWSD members.
• be responsible for ensuring ethical integrity in their own actions and assist the President in ensuring the same integrity applies to the actions of the Executive Board.
• take an active interest in the National Chapters in her region, encouraging countries without these to form them and assist in any way that they can to ensure the successful operation and growth of National Chapters. They shall liaise with NC ex coms on a regular basis, report on their activities and assist the Vice President in the general coordination of their management.
• prompt OWSD members to participate in OWSD programmes or National Chapter activities and recruit new OWSD Members in the Region and also among diaspora scientists.

Desirable skills of Vice Presidents and Regional Members:    

• Achieved excellence in her scientific field at least at regional level
• Achieved high level of recognition within her place of work
• Proactive, innovative, enthusiastic and committed to the vision of OWSD
• Awareness of cultural, social and geographical differences and challenges in the region
• Awareness of the challenges faced by women and girls in science at least at a regional level
• Experience of public speaking, competence in spoken English
• Public relations and diplomacy skills
• Demonstrated leadership skills in academic and non-academic environments with past experiences at leading teams
• Ability to connect with representatives from a variety of academic and research intuitions/organisations
• Experience as a committee or board member
• Experience as a mentor for girls and women in science in her discipline and/ or country
• Ability to fundraise and connect with private sector can be beneficial

Timeline for Elections

15 March  Call for applications opens
OWSD Full Members are invited to submit their applications for any EB role online.
7 April  Call closes
After this date no further applications can be submitted.
7 – 12 April  OWSD Secretariat screens for eligible applications
14 April – 2 May  Nominations Committee evaluates all eligible applications
6 – 30 May   Shortlisted candidates prepare videos
The Secretariat contacts all eligible shortlisted candidates for all EB roles and requests that they send in a video, their CV and biography and an updated photo for their online profile. [Candidates who are not able to submit a video will still be eligible.] Content of video (3 mins): Brief biographical intro, vision statement. Guidelines for the content and optimal conditions for recording the video (e.g. plain background, lighting, noise reduction, etc) are circulated by the Secretariat.
7 – 13 June    Presention of candidates
Profiles of all candidates for all roles as shortlisted by the Nominations Committee are published on the OWSD website. Presentation includes candidates that will be automatically appointed: OWSD Members have one week to raise objections to any of these appointments.
14  June Announcement of the OWSD President
14 – 20 June  Vice Presidential Election
The online voting system for election of the OWSD Vice-Presidents is opened. Full members have one week to vote for the Vice Presidents of the Regions linked to their declared nationalities.
21 June   Announcement of the OWSD Vice Presidents
The election for Vice Presidents closes, results are announced. The Secretariat screens the shortlist of Regional members to ensure no candidates are included from the same country as the newly elected Vice Presidents. 
28 June – 4 July  Regional Members Election
The online voting system for election of the four Regional Members is opened. Full members have one week to vote for the Regional Members linked to their declared nationalities. 
5 July Announcement of the OWSD Regional Members
General Assembly (date and time TBC in November 2021) Press conference and Confirmation of the new Executive Board
The board members will be sworn in and take up their duties

Eligible applications

• The online application form should be directly filled by the person who wishes to be elected
• Only OWSD FULL members can apply
• Only Members with PhD (or equivalent) in the Natural or Social Sciences can apply
• In case of multiple nationalities or residence, applicants must select only one country on the application form and this will remain binding for the duration of the election period
• ALL applications must be endorsed by at least 2 reference letters by 2 OWSD FULL members

How to apply

APPLY NOW

Please submit your application using the online form linked above by midnight CET, 7 April 2021. The system will not allow submissions after this date.

To prevent disappointment we recommend submitting the form at least one day in advance of closing.

To help you prepare your online application, please find a pdf version of the full form for your reference and convenience. Please note that only submissions directly on the online forms will be accepted.

Required documents

For your application please prepare the following documents that will need to be uploaded:

• OWSD Full Membership ID number (you can find it on your member profile on the OWSD website after logging in. For any difficulties accessing your ID number, please contact membership@owsd.net)
• Official documentation proving either your nationality or your residency for at least 5 years in the developing country you wish to be associated to your application (eg. identity card, passport, certificate of residency)
• Curriculum (CV) and/or full list of publications
• Your PhD certificate (or equivalent)
• Two reference letters by OWSD FULL Members. You can add up to 3 more reference letters (for a total of 5) from non-members or members. Referees should not be relatives and should be respected people in your field of research or profession who are aware of your professional and/or academic capacities

Shortlisting and elections

The OWSD Secretariat will perform a first screening of all applications to ensure they correspond to the above eligibility criteria (including that uploaded documents correspond to the requested fields).

The Nominations Committee will then prepare a shortlist of candidates who demonstrate they have the required experience to fulfill the described roles and duties.

Evaluation Criteria:

Each of the following will be based on your responses given on the online form to the six areas listed below. Each area has equal weight and scores will depend on the descriptions and evidence provided.

• Knowledge of and commitment to the OWSD mission, vision and programmes e.g. active participation in an OWSD national chapter; advocate on gender policies and relevant committees. Publications (including blogs, articles, opinion pieces) concerning  women, science and development
• Excellent scientific reputation e.g. list of publications, invitations to present at international conferences, leading roles in domestic and international research projects.
• Leadership experience e.g. Principle Investigator, supervisor of PhDs,  head of department, organizer of community events, trainer etc.
• Evidence of outreach activities e.g. service to the community, linking with OWSD members, involvement in national chapter activities
• Communication skills, including good written and verbal English.  An ability to make complex scientific notions accessible to non-specialists e.g. evidence of different target audiences for scientific presentations, prizes for poster and oral presentations
• Interpersonal skills and connections e.g. evidence of ability to fundraise, connect and network with a variety of people, from school children, to PhD students, to Ministers, evidence of participating in and creating networks, mentoring, supervising, successful collaborations.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by the OWSD Secretariat and asked to provide a 3-minute presentation video including their vision statement (approximately 6 – 23 May 2021).

They can be assisted in this by the OWSD Secretariat. Candidates who do not submit their video will still be eligible but please be aware that videos are a very powerful form of outreach to voting Members.

The profiles and videos of the shortlisted candidates will be posted on the OWSD website.

The three rounds of elections, starting from the role of OWSD President, will take place online through a voting platform between 31 May and 4 July 2021.

Full members from all regions will be invited to elect the president. Only members from the region (based on nationality) can vote for their respective Vice President and Regional Members. Full members will be able to cast only one vote for each position, for a total of 3 votes. For each position to be filled, the candidate to receive the majority of votes shall be elected.

No two members (including the President) of the Board can have the same country of nationality. Therefore, once the President has been elected, any applicants from her country will be excluded from elections. Likewise, once the Vice Presidents have been elected, any applicants from the same countries will be excluded.

Sample application form

Download the sample application form by clicking here.

FAQs

Download a list of Frequently Asked Questions here.