Ambassador Scheme

Here are some examples of the kinds of activity our Ambassadors do, but this is not an exhaustive list. If there is a different audience or type of activity that you would like to explore as an Ambassador, we would love to hear about it. This will also help to grow our existing collection of resources and give ideas for other Ambassadors to develop.​

Ambassador job description PDF

Engaging the Society’s membership and the wider pharmacology community​

All ambassadors are expected to be local contact points for the pharmacology community and the Society at their institution. This could include:​

Being the voice of the Society within their community - for example by:

• Keeping up to date with Society activities and initiatives
• Sharing membership opportunities and benefits,  by circulating Society  resources and messages​
• Promoting pharmacology and the Society online through social media and blogs​
• Representing pharmacology and the Society at institutional open days and conferences (where appropriate)​

Providing feedback to the Society on:​

• What their local pharmacology community needs​
• Their Ambassador activities, including promoting these activities through Society channels, like the online
• BPS Community, at Society meetings, through the Society’s blog and Pharmacology Matters ​

Organising events or activities to bring together the pharmacology community locally and further afield, for example:​

• Supporting local student society activity
• Providing mentorship and support for early career pharmacologists​
• Offering cross-institutional events to broaden networks and encourage collaborative activity​

Supporting international engagement of the pharmacology community, for example:​

• Organising sessions at Society meetings, or externally, to bring together the pharmacology community​
• Acting as links with international pharmacology groups​
   

Engaging the public with pharmacology​

Lots of Ambassadors focus on engaging public audiences with different aspects of pharmacology. This might be talking with school and family groups about the importance of medicines and where they come from, demonstrating the impact of pharmacology research to policy makers or speaking to patients about taking medicines correctly and safely. Ways to do this might include:​

Promoting pharmacology to public audiences at community and local events:​

• Using and sharing Society activities and resources
• Developing new pharmacology-based activities, games and resources (both physical and digital)​
• Giving talks to local public and patient groups to raise awareness of key messages around the importance of pharmacology​
• Using social media to engage new audiences with pharmacology and share science in innovative ways​

Inspiring the next generation of pharmacologists by:​

• Hosting summer schools and work experience opportunities for school students​
• Representing pharmacology at local careers fairs and school events​
• Advertising career and opportunity information to relevant audiences​
• Providing support and training for others in the pharmacology community about how to share, engage and learn from different audiences​
• Supporting public engagement around Society meetings​
• Supporting the Society’s staff team to make sure accurate, accessible and engaging information is given in response to public queries and, occasionally, through media activity.​
• Representing the pharmacology community in conversations with policy makers and key stakeholders, to ensure accurate information is used to make decisions that affect the research landscape in the UK and abroad.​
   

Anyone who has been a member of the Society for more than 6 months can apply to be an Ambassador, except for undergraduate members.  ​

There are many different paths to a career in pharmacology, and there are many roles within it, so we welcome Ambassadors from all areas of the biosciences. People with wider biosciences training who have then specialised in or focussed on pharmacology are welcome to apply to be an Ambassador. ​

We expect our Ambassadors to be strong representatives of the Society and the pharmacology community for a sustained time period. The length of an Ambassador's term depends on what activities they are doing, and how long they want to be an Ambassador for. We are looking for Ambassadors who are effective communicators, proactive, enthusiastic and involved members of the pharmacology community.​

If you have specific questions about your eligibility for the Society’s Ambassadors Scheme, you can contact us.  ​

Ambassador application
 

The Society offers support to each Ambassador to help them effectively engage with others, develop key skills and make the most of opportunities for development.

Whether they are speaking to Society members or to the public, our Ambassadors take different approaches and carry out different types of activities. We have a range of support and resources to help with this, including: ​

• Tools and resources to help engage with different audiences; from careers information, to interactive activities to bring pharmacology to life​
• Leaflets, banners and other materials with the Society's logo to help promote us at an organisational and local level​
• Opportunities to apply for Ambassadors Grants of up to £250, to support the development of Ambassador activities and events (these funds are separate from the Society’s Engagement Grants, Meetings and Event
• Grants, and Education Grants, which are open to all members, including Ambassadors)​
• Dedicated support from the Society staff team, as well as the Ambassador Coordinators ​
• Online meetings throughout the year to facilitate networking, collaboration and sharing of updates​
• Annual round-table meeting to network, share and collaborate with other Ambassadors and feedback to the Society​
• Newsletters for Ambassadors to keep up to date with helpful resources and Society News​
• Dedicated space within the BPS Community for Ambassadors to come together outside of regular meetings​
• Opportunities to be featured in or write for the Society’s blog or Pharmacology Matters articles ​
• Reimbursement of travel and subsistence costs to attend events on the Society’s behalf​
• Opportunities to apply for funding to support personal development training through the Society’s
• Engagement Training Bursary (also open to wider membership)​