SEB Bulletin July 2005
From the President's desk
It is with some humility that I begin my term as President. Having observed at first hand the very successful way in which John Bryant guided the Society throughout his period of office, I just hope I can half-match his energy, commitment and achievements. During John's time as Vice-President and then President, the Society has moved ahead enormously including obtaining its own HQ in Southampton (now fully owned and a revenue earner), organising its first overseas Annual Main Meeting for many years and improving its financial position. John's positive approach has been a major factor in driving the Society forward and I hope I can maintain the momentum he has given it. Fortunately, the excellence of the honorary officers and the Society's staff will ensure I have the backing of a great team and I know their wise advice will stop me making too many blunders. I shall miss the input of Richard Napier who stepped down as Plant Biology Secretary at the AGM but am looking forward to working with Keith Lindsey who replaces him, and with all of the other new members of Council and of the three Section Committees.
At present, the Society is doing well financially. This is due largely to the income generated by our two flagship journals, The Journal of Experimental Botany and The Plant Journal. Although we aim to keep to our policy of maintaining a reserve in excess of £1 million, attention is now switching to how we can use the income to support the Society's activities, particularly its meetings. The Management Committee is discussing how this can be done but it is likely to include a larger subsidy for the Annual Main Meeting (AMM), more support for postgraduate and earlycareer scientists attending our meetings, and more funds for Sections to allow them to support satellite meetings and other activities. Our hope is that this healthy financial situation will continue well into the future but the uncertainty about journal incomes if Open Access becomes widespread means we must act with some prudence.
The Society has continued to develop a broader educational role, guided by the Education and Public Affairs Committee chaired by Christine Foyer and administered by Sarah Blackford. Everyone will be well aware of the range of activities the EPA organises at the AMM including techniques workshops, the Women in Science lunch and outreach for schools and the public. Increasingly the EPA is also organising other events such as a Science Communication Workshop that was held at Oxford Brookes University in June and was attended by over 40 people. These events bring the Society to the attention of a broader group of individuals as well as providing new and useful services to members. In future, we may use the experience we gain from organising these to develop new revenue streams that could help support the Society in the event of a downturn in our journals.
In public affairs the Society is taking a very active role in the Biosciences Federation which is an umbrella organisation representing many of the UK's biological societies. It aims to provide advice and guidance to Government and others on major biological issues, just as the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry do for their subjects. Sarah Blackford is Secretary of the BSF's Education Committee and Peter Lumsden the Chair of its Environment Committee. The BSF has given the SEB more opportunity to be influential in national science policy and to ensure its members views can be represented in the corridors of power.
The forthcoming meeting in Barcelona looks like being a great success. The number of registrants is predicted to be about 1000 indicating the attraction of both the venue and the science on offer. The Society is now considering another European venue for its 2008 AMM. This emphasises that the SEB is an international Society and we must continue to develop activities that benefit all our members not just those in the UK. To this end we are looking to increase our international membership especially in areas we have relatively few members but where science is expanding, such as Asia. If any members are willing to act as ambassadors for the SEB in other countries their input will be most welcome.
I hope this brief review of some of the Society's current activities shows how vibrant it is and how committed it remains to improving its services to members and its effectiveness in all of the things it does. I am looking forward to my two years as President. I have always seen the SEB as an important part of my scientific life and I hope I will be able to make a positive contribution to its further development. Certainly, it is a great honour to be leading the Society at a time when it has so many opportunities available to it.
Roger Leigh
Honorary President
