Each year, the Nominating Committee develops a slate of candidates for leadership positions with terms that start at the next annual meeting. This includes open seats on the Board of Directors, the Nominating Committee, and on alternating years one seat for either President-Elect or the Student/Postdoc Representative. See the responsibilities for each of these positions below.
To support their efforts and to help the Society maintain a Board of Directors that represents the diversity of the membership, the Nominating Committee seeks input from the INS membership. They welcome and appreciate both self nominations and nominations of colleagues. Once a slate of candidates has been identified, the committee encourages all members to vote via online ballot.
Nominations
We are no longer accepting nominations for the current appointment cycle.
Advisory Vote
The Nominating Committee has selected finalist candidates for each open seats. You can recommend candidates for these open positions by submitting a ballot as part of the advisory vote of the membership. You must be an INS member to vote, and you may vote only once.
The deadline vote has passed.
Eligibility
Nominees for the Board, the Nominating Committee, and for Student/Postdoc Representative do not need to be current INS members. Nominees for President-Elect are required to be members in good standing for three (3) consecutive years immediately prior to their nomination.
However, we encourage all nominees to join the Society or renew their membership when preparing their nomination materials and documents. All successful candidates invited to serve in a leadership role are required to be INS members in good standing throughout their term.
While membership is not a requirement, an essential component of one’s candidacy for any leadership position is previous involvement in Society activities and/or engagement with the neuroethics community as well as relevant scholarship, advocacy, or activism. See the evaluation criteria below for more details about the factors used to evaluate nominees.
Self nominations are welcome and encouraged. We also appreciate nominations of colleagues whom you feel should be considered for these opportunities.
Contact INS staff <staff@neuroethicssociety.org> with questions regarding eligibility.
Criteria
Nominees will be evaluated using four criteria categories: scholarship, involvement, contributions to diversity and inclusion, and vision.
The nomination form includes one open-ended question pertaining to each of these categories. Nominees are encouraged to reference the full set of Leadership Candidate Evaluation Criteria (pdf) prior to filling out the nomination form and submitting documents.
Submit Nominations
You may nominate yourself or a colleague. If nominating a colleague, please let them know that you have nominated them for this opportunity. INS staff will contact the nominee as soon as possible to inform them of your nomination and confirm that they are willing to serve in this role.
As you propose nominees, consider the responsibilities of the respective positions and the Society’s commitment to the principles of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and fairness.
The deadline to submit nominations has passed.
Diversity and Inclusion
For all leadership appointments, the Society welcomes nominees from underrepresented communities and marginalized groups, including women, people identifying as LGBTQIA+, disabled persons, and people living in or originating from Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Nominees are encouraged to highlight any aspect of themselves — including identity, national origin, personal or professional experience, or other considerations — relevant to our efforts to better include, support, and/or empower underrepresented communities.
Details about scholarship; involvement in neuroethics and/or the Society; contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion; and vision can be addressed when answering the open-ended questions included in the nomination form. Within these statements, nominees are also encouraged to highlight if they are a first-generation scholar, or if they have experience with: multidisciplinary scholarship; scholarship that contributes to knowledge about diverse and/or indigenous communities; and/or community engagement or activism involving neuroethics-related topics.
The International Neuroethics Society is dedicated to fostering a professional community in neuroethics committed to the principles of justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and fairness. A core objective of the Society is to create spaces where people feel a sense of emotional and intellectual safety, and are empowered to participate in the free exchange of scholarly ideas. For all activities and events, the INS is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful, and harassment-free environment, in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
Selection Process
The Nominating Committee will review all nominees put forth by the membership. Committee members will review all submitted application materials and confidentially discuss each nominee.
After evaluating all nominees, the committee will develop a slate of candidates to present to the membership for an advisory vote. The slate of candidates for Board positions must include at least five (5) and no more than ten (10) possible members — dictated by the number of open seats. The advisory vote is held in August. The results of the advisory vote are not binding, in compliance with the California laws governing the corporate status of the INS.
Informed by the results of the advisory vote and further discussion, the Nominating Committee will provide a written recommendation to the Board regarding candidates for the open seats available this year. The Board takes this recommendation into account in their discussions, and votes by secret ballot to select candidates for the open seats.
Candidates selected for appointment will begin their terms of service in coordination with the annual business meeting of the Society.
Open Seats
For each of the following open seats, the Nominating Committee provides a list of candidates for the Board to consider. Their slate of candidates and recommendation is informed by the nominees submitted by members and the results of the advisory vote of the membership.
Board of Directors
There are five (5) seats on the Board open for appointment. The current Board members whose terms expire in April 2026 are Adrian Carter, Winston Chiong, Nicole Martinez Martin, Eric Racine and Arleen Salles.
- Current INS President Debra JH Mathews has served three consecutive terms on the Board and cannot be considered for reappointment — although she will continue to serve on the Board for two more years, through April 2027, in the roles of President and Immediate Past President. This makes Dr. Mathews the 16th voting member of the Board during this time.
Nominating Committee
There are two (2) seats on the Nominating Committee open for appointees from the general membership. The current Nominating Committee members whose terms expire April 2026 are Syd Johnson and Emily Murphy.
- Dr. Johnson has served two consecutive terms on the committee and is not eligible for reappointment.
- Dr. Murphy has served one term on the committee and will not seek reappointment.
Student/Postdoc Representatives
The position of Student/Postdoc Representative is up for appointment in April 2026 and the candidate selected will serve a 2-year term through April 2028. Nathan Higgins is currently serving in this role and is eligible for reappointment.
President-Elect
There is no opening for the position of President-Elect this term. Members may submit nominees for this position for the term starting April 2027.
- The President-Elect does not need to be a current member of the Board, but must have been a member of the INS for three (3) consecutive years immediately prior to their nomination.
- The candidate selected by the Board for this position will serve as President-Elect for one year, as President for a 2-year term, and then as the Immediate Past President for one year.
Responsibilities
Board of Directors
The Board is responsible for ensuring the long-term stability and integrity of the organization, and members are expected to foster the continued viability and growth of the organization. The responsibilities of Board members are to:
- Attend and participate in in-person and teleconferenced Board meetings.
- Pledge to contribute resources for the organization in the form of sponsorships, donations, identification of partners, and other funding opportunities in recognition of the necessity of diverse income sources for the sustainability and growth of the Organization.
- Promote the Society’s visibility to peers, colleagues and communities, including in speaking materials, communication with other organizations/individuals, and in Society credentials on personal and affiliation websites and social media.
- Serve on at least one Society Committee or Task Force each year and/or chair a function, meeting, or similar endeavor.
Nominating Committee
The responsibilities of the Nominating Committee are to:
- Suggest new candidates for Board membership to replace those Board members with expiring terms or for a seat that is otherwise open.
- Recommend a slate of candidates including at least as many possible members as there are openings on the Board, and up to twice as many as there are openings on the Board.
- Take into account the needs for balance and diversity in the membership of the Board.
- Solicit and nominate President-Elect candidates to the full Board of Directors.
- Review nominees from the general membership to the Nominating Committee before the election.
Student/Postdoc Representative
Appointed by the Board of Directors, the Student/Postdoc Representative serves as the chair of the Student/Postdoc Committee and is responsible for coordinating the activities of the committee, appointing new members to the committee in coordination with the Faculty Mentor, and reporting to the Board on the interests of student, trainee and early-career members of the Society.
Under their leadership, the responsibilities of the Student/Postdoc Committee are to:
- Represent the interests of trainee members of the Society.
- Oversee and adjudicate the Neuroethics Essay Contest.
- Make recommendations to the Board regarding initiatives for student and post-doc members.
- Coordinate communication and outreach efforts through the website, newsletter, and other media.
- Cultivate membership through strategic communication.
President-Elect
The President-Elect collaborates with the President to learn the role of the President, to become familiar with the programs of the Society and its governance, and to facilitate Board transitions. The President-Elect assists and supports the President as needed.
The President-Elect shall become President at the end of the term as President-Elect. The President-Elect is elected during the first year of the President’s two-year term, by secret ballot of the Board of Directors, following nomination by the Nominating Committee, and will include:
- Presentations by candidates, accompanied by candidate position statements submitted in advance.
- Question and answer between the Board and each candidate without other candidate(s) present.
- Group discussion of candidates, to be conducted in the absence of those candidates.
- Follow-up consultation process where Board members are free to speak with each other but with a time deadline established. Those Board members who do not want to hear from Board colleagues may opt-out of these conversations by contacting the Executive Director who will communicate to all Board members.
- When there is more than one candidate for President-Elect, a second meeting of the Board without candidates will then be held. No other conversation will be held following this meeting.
- A secret vote.
Board members and other personnel involved in this process shall treat all conversations and details from the above steps as confidential.
While the President-Elect need not be an existing member of the Board, they must have been a member in good standing of the INS for three (3) consecutive years immediately prior to their nomination. Upon election, a non-Board member President-Elect will become an ex officio voting member of the Board. If the candidate is in the final year of a Board term or would meet their term limit during their term as President-Elect or President, they may nevertheless continue to serve and as an ex officio member of the Board.
The responsibilities of the President-Elect are to:
- Attend and participate in all meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee.
- Be informed about, help champion, and provide leadership regarding the Society’s mission, services, policies, and programs.
- Assist the Board of Directors in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities.
- Review agenda and supporting materials as needed prior to Board and Committee meetings and conference calls.
- Represent the Society on behalf of the President as needed.
- Attend the Annual Meeting.
- Annually review and vote on the Society’s budget.
- Prepare and present information at meetings on behalf of the Society as needed.
- Work with Society staff to support outreach strategies for membership and fundraising.
- Serve as an ex officio voting member of the Executive Committee.
- Chair meetings when the President is unavailable to do so.
- Contribute to a review of the Executive Director and all staff.