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BIAZA Research Committee Member

BIAZA Research Committee (RC)

BIAZA’s Research Committee is one of six key standing Committees that works to achieve BIAZA’s mission aims.

We are particularly keen for aquarium and vet expertise. There are numerous BIAZA member vacancies and one non-member vacancy

The RC’s objectives are as follows:

1. To encourage, facilitate and monitor research being carried out in BIAZA member collections and related field research.
2. To promote and communicate research within the zoo and aquarium community, to academic colleagues, the general public and other external bodies
3. To increase both the capacity for and quality of research in zoos, aquariums and in the field.
4. To assist in the prioritizing of research in BIAZA zoos, aquariums and in the field.
5. To achieve realistic growth in conservation research and knowledge in specialist areas.
6. To develop partnerships with higher and further education.

BIAZA’s RC members work together to lead our collections in achieving these principles.

Full members of the Research Committee are those colleagues employed by a zoological collection with BIAZA membership. Co-opted members are those colleagues with specific skills or expertise useful to the running of the Research Committee but who are not employed in a BIAZA member zoological collection.

Committee Member Role Description (full and co-opted members)

RC Committee members contribute to the objectives of the Committee in the following ways:

• Attending the two-yearly meetings of the Committee. The main annual business meeting is usually held (online) in early December and is used to set objectives and actions for the coming year. A second meeting is held in person in early-mid July, before the annual summer Research Conference, and consists of a review of progress against the year’s objectives and last-minute arrangements for the conference.
• Assisting in the organisation and running of the annual BIAZA Research Conference. This is a two-day meeting (plus the committee meeting the evening before) and is normally held at a different zoo/aquarium each year.
• Assisting with virtual events as and when the current situation requires.
• Assisting with regular review of the BIAZA Research Handbook.
• Responding to BIAZA Research Support applications.
• Supporting the BIAZA office, supporting the roll out of accreditation, contributing to relevant new resources wherever possible and assisting with responding to queries from BIAZA members and other interested parties.
• Contributing to Research Committee campaigns and communications, e.g. participation with social media events on the BIAZA Research Committee Facebook page, content for BIAZA publications and outputs, presenting at meetings & events etc.
• Reviewing BIAZA awards criteria and assessing submissions.
• Assisting in the annual review of relevant annual questionnaire content.
• Participate in other working groups of the Committee where relevant or with tasks to help the running of taxon-specific working groups.  

Roles specific to Full Members of the Research Committee only

• Voting on applicants for new membership of the Committee.
• Eligibility for standing for the positions of (co)Chair(s) and Vice-Chair(s).

Committee members stand on the committee for three years. After this period, if they wish to remain on the committee they may be voted on for a further three years. After this point they must stand down for at least one year, before they may be voted back onto the committee.