OARSI NEEDS YOU!
OARSI’s success depends on the many volunteers who serve on committees, task forces, initiatives and the board.
What Volunteering Means to You - Volunteering can provide professional growth and expand your network of OARSI friends and collaborators. Service to OARSI can provide leadership skills that will benefit you personally and professionally. Volunteering is also a way to give back to your field and support OARSI while meeting and working with new people.
What Volunteers Mean to OARSI - Volunteering ensures the future of OARSI by developing engaged members and leaders from all regions of the world. We need volunteers to continue the many OARSI initiatives and build future projects in order to move the field forward.
All applications will be considered. You must be an OARSI member to apply. We may not be able to accommodate all requests immediately but applications will be retained for future openings.
All current committees are listed below with a brief explanation of their purpose.
Click here to begin your application.
Committees
Asian Alliances
The goal of the Asian Alliances Committee is to establish collaborations with local societies to plan scientific and educational programming in Asia. The committee will also develop an OARSI slide deck and translate the guidelines and white paper to various Asian languages.
Communications
The goal of the Communications Committee is to improve OARSI visibility through communication vehicles including the website, newsletter and social media. The committee will focus on improving the website and social media presence and review selected articles for the bi-monthly newsletter.
Early Career Investigator
The Early Career Investigator Committee goal is to increase student and early career investigator interest and participation in OARSI in order to foster new and strengthen existing research efforts, collaborations and mentorship opportunities in both clinical and basic science studies of osteoarthritis. The Committee plans workshops and mentorship sessions at the OARSI World Congress and maintains Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Engagement Committee
The Engagement Committee curates the OARSI Live webinar series and explore all methods of engaging OARSI Members, with a particular focus on virtual activities.
Ethics and Governance Committee
The Ethics and Governance Committee ensures that all OARSI activities meet the highest ethical standards of the Society. They review disclosures from the board, board nominees, committee and initiative participants and makes recommendations to the board and enforces the OARSI Code of Ethics. The Committee will also be responsible for reviewing OARSI’s governance policies (bylaws, committee mandates) and make recommendations to the board.
Finance
The role of the Finance Committee is to advise the board on actions needed to maintain OARSI's solvency. The committee works closely with the OARSI Treasurer and Industry relations staff member to identify approaches to new sources of funding and sponsorship, assess how to monetize OARSI activities.
Program
The Program Committee plans the annual OARSI World Congress. It selects the abstract categories, session topics, speakers and review the pre-Congress workshops. Committee members also review and score abstracts.
Publications
The Publications Committee oversees the editorial office of OARSI and the relationship with the publisher of the journals. This committee evaluates the publisher and negotiates new or renewal publisher and editor contracts, provides advice to the editors and discusses issues related to the journals.
Research and Training
The Research and Training Committee establishes scholarship criteria, reviews applications and selects scholarship winners. The committee will review existing OARSI research tools on the website and recommend updates, review OA research gaps and future directions for OA position papers.
Strategic Alliances
The Strategic Alliance Committee identifies societies, foundations, groups and industry partners that have an interest in OA and related research and establish mutually beneficial interactions. The goal is to raise awareness and educate groups about osteoarthritis. Interactions may include formal partnerships, joint meetings and workshops. This committee will also be responsible to review requests for initiatives and projects that come to OARSI.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Abstract Reviewers - Review abstracts submitted for the OARSI World Congress
- Mentor an Early Career Investigator - Early Career Investigators are sometimes in need of talking with more senior OARSI members regarding career and research advice related to specific areas of interest. By checking a box on your membership profile, you agree to be a mentor. Early Career Investigators seeking someone to speak with could search the OARSI member database for mentors in specific areas and contact would be made individually. The time commitment is minimal and correspondence would be conducted by email and/or telephone. This is a wonderful opportunity to ensure the future of OARSI!
- Translator - Translate resources into different languages.
- Podcasts - Be a guest lecturer on a podcast to be posted on the OARSI website on a topic in osteoarthritis research.
- Scholarship Host - The host will provide educational, networking and partnership opportunities for the traveling student.
- Other Ideas - We welcome other ideas on how you would like to be involved in OARSI.