STEMM Global Local Area Networks

What are Local Area Networks?

Sometimes working in the lab or the office is an isolating experience. It’s easy to get caught up in your own research and your own problems, and to miss out on the benefits of networking and collaboration outside of your bubble. We believe that creating diverse networks will enable the ingenuity of scientists to be unleashed, solving interdisciplinary problems through the generation of novel ideas, methods, and procedures.

Our Local Area Networks (LANs) bring together early career members to discuss, develop, and promote science, and to support each other’s career progression and development. LANs can cover a single university or institution, a town or city, up to a region or country. LANs offer opportunities to collaborate with colleagues, perform outreach in the community, develop professional and leadership skills, form lasting partnerships across disciplines or with industry, and most importantly to enjoy science together.

LANs receive several benefits:

Activity Grant

LANs are eligible to apply for an annual activity grant to support events that they run. The activity grant provides an annual contribution starting from £200 (with the minimum of 10 members) annually. The amount can be increased depending on the number of active members in the network. To request funding, an Activity Plan should be submitted with costs estimated in GB£. Activities that are eligible for funding include:

  • Running regular seminars or networking sessions for members
  • Holding membership recruitment events
  • Running career development workshops or providing soft skills training
  • Networking visits to local companies or other institutions
  • Paying for travel for external speakers
  • Running outreach events or developing outreach activities
  • Running events that promote diverse representation in STEMM fields

Visiting lecturer

STEMM Global will contribute annually to support the travel of a visiting lecturer to give a talk to your LAN. Lecturers can present research, give career guidance, or provide developmental training – the choice is yours.

With the success of video conferencing, lecturers can also present virtually. In this case, STEMM Global can provide the technological support to get the lecture seen as widely as possible.

The Visiting Lecturer programme will open for applications in 2022.

Travel grants

STEMM Global will provide one travel grant per year to a named officer of the LAN to attend any STEMM Global  conference or event.

More support from STEMM Global

STEMM Global’s LAN team can provide you with help to:

  • Brand your LAN
  • Organise your events
  • Advertise your events
  • Boost your membership
  • Host and maintain your LAN website

Who can join?

STEMM Global LANs are open to all early career members. Undergraduate, postgraduates, doctoral researchers, postdoctoral researchers, junior faculty, lecturers, technicians, and those taking the first steps outside academia are all equally welcome.

Starting a new LAN

If there is no LAN currently in your area, consider starting your own. The three step process is simple:

1. Gather 10 members from your institution, city, or region who are interested in forming the LAN.

Remember, STEMM Global champions diversity and interdisciplinarity, and this should be reflected in the membership of your LAN.

2. Fill in the application form with the details of your founding members and the LAN. You should also nominate four members to fill the LAN officer positions (president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary) and email it to [email protected]

LAN Application Form

3. The STEMM Global LAN team will review your application and inform you of their decision.

If your LAN application is successful, you will be sent a welcome pack with all the relevant documentation to help you run your LAN effectively and to meet the expectations of STEMM Global.

LAN Management

To remain affiliated with STEMM Global, your LAN should fulfill two main criteria:

1. Maintaining a minimum of ten members

Your LAN should also organise annual elections for the LAN officer positions. Four key positions should be filled:

  1. President
  2. Vice-president
  3. Treasurer
  4. Secretary

Other leadership positions can be created as required by the LAN to help facilitate its activities, but these are not required. The duties of the LAN officers are as follows:

  • The president is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the LAN. They have ultimate responsibility for scheduling meetings, organising meetings, and ensuring that the LAN complies with all requirements of STEMM Global. The president is responsible for submitting the completed annual report before the deadline.
  • The vice-president is responsible for supporting the president in carrying out their duties. In the event that the president is unable to continue in their role, the vice-president takes charge of the LAN.
  • The treasurer is responsible for handling and recording the income and expenses of the LAN, for ensuring that the LAN only spends funds that are available, and for providing the financial update in the annual report.
  • The secretary is responsible for communicating the activities of the LAN, and for recording minutes of any LAN meetings as required. The secretary should compile the annual report for submission by the president.

2. Submitting an annual report in a timely manner

The annual report is a document that describes the activities carried out by the LAN and its current financial situation. The due date for your annual report will be set when your LAN application is accepted. Activities do not have to be described in detail, but LAN finances should be complete and accurate.

The annual report will be used to ensure that activity grant funding is being spent as expected, and will form part of the judgment of future activity grant applications. An annual report for the previous year must be received before the activity grant for the next year can be considered.

Your LAN officers will be contacted one month before your report is due. The completed report should be emailed to [email protected] once complete.

Annual Report Template

Currently, your LAN can apply for the following benefits:

Activity Grant

You can apply for an activity grant once per year, provided that your annual report for the previous year has been submitted. To apply, complete the form and send by email to [email protected].

Activity Grant Application Form