2025 ESDR Board Applications are open
3 positions are available on the ESDR Board from October 2025 to 2030.
Deadline: 28 February 2025.
2 positions are available on the Young ESDR Board from September 2025 to 2028. Deadline: 7 February 2025.
Please read the criteria for applications and
submit your application materials to Thomas Florestan (thomas@esdr.org) at the ESDR office.
ESDR Nominations to Board, Junior Board and Executive Committee
Terms of Reference
Last updated 7 February 2024
Goals: Setting transparent statutes for nominations and elections of members to the ESDR junior board, the ESDR board, the ESDR Executive Committee and for the election of the ESDR President and Secretary-Treasurer.
The ESDR Board
The ESDR Board consists of 16 members maximum. There should be no more than three board members maximum from one country of residence. The term on the ESDR board is for 5 years, which may be prolonged with agreement from the Annual General Meeting (AGM) as required when accepting a position on the Executive Committee.
Members of the ESDR will nominate future board members. There will be a call for nominations to the members of the ESDR. This will be done in the first quarter of the year. Nominations to the ESDR Board require submission of a CV, a publication record, a cover letter detailing the candidate’s relationship to the ESDR and what the applicant may bring to the Board. In addition, 2 letters of endorsement from current or past ESDR Board members are required.
Potential Board members should have a leadership record and a professional stance. Furthermore, the applicants should have made significant previous contributions to ESDR. They should also bring in specific skills and experiences. For the selection of potential board members, it is required to maintain an essential balance of geographic origin and gender.
In July ESDR Board members will give their final votes for nominees to be elected as new board members. Terms will start at the Autumn board meeting upon approval of the Board’s nominations at the AGM.
Election to the Executive Committee
Members of the ESDR board nominate and elect members to the Executive Committee when a vacancy should be filled.
Potential executive committee members should have served as ESDR board members for at least 2 years, possess an outstanding leadership aptitude and have made excellent contributions to the society’s activities. A gender and geographic balance among the members of the executive committee has to be maintained. A respective commitment of time and efforts to serve the ESDR duties needs to be considered.
Election of the President and Secretary-Treasurer of the ESDR
The President will be nominated by and elected from members of the ESDR Board. This election will be held one year in advance and communicated to the AGM. After one year the President-Elect will start serving as President of the ESDR. The term of the presidency is for one year. In the following year this person will serve as Past President and member of the Executive Committee (ex officio).
A Secretary-Treasurer shall be nominated and elected from members of the ESDR Board. The nomination should be confirmed to the AGM one year before the term of office starts. The term of office is usually for a period of three years, from 1 October in any calendar year.
The ESDR junior board
The ESDR junior board should consist of 4 board members but may be reviewed at any time by the ESDR Board. Candidates for being elected at the junior board will be selected by the Executive Committee, following a call issued among alumni of the Future Leaders Academy. Nominations will be discussed and confirmed by a majority vote of the ESDR board members.
The election process will be supervised by the nomination committee. The makeup of the junior board should reflect the ESDR’s principles of diversity. The term of membership shall be 3 years unless otherwise agreed with the ESDR Board. The timing of stepping down of the junior board will be staggered so there is opportunity to continue initiatives. All members of the junior board will have equivalent status. A single member of the junior board will participate at ESDR board meetings, on a scheduled rotational basis, with support from the ESDR. At such a meeting, the junior board member will be invited to offer a representative opinion on issues discussed at the ESDR board. They will not however have ESDR board voting rights. Junior board members will complete the standard COI declaration of all ESDR Board and Committee members. Junior board members will have paid their ESDR membership dues and be in good standing. Junior board members will be bound by the ESDR Articles of Association.
The junior board will contribute to the ESDR board meetings and provide the perspective of young scientists (one representative at each board meeting). The ESDR junior board will play a major role in the positioning of the ESDR on social media in partnership with the ESDR office and the Communication committee. They will also take part in the development and execution of a global mentorship program, and will participate in the development of the Future Leaders Academy program and lead the Future leaders’ symposium at the annual ESDR meeting.
