Board Service
As an ISDAM member, your voice matters—step up to make a difference by participating in board service, where your insights and leadership can shape the future of our society and advance the important work we do together.
About the Board
The International Society for Diet and Activity Methods was launched in 2024. Per the Society’s Bylaws as ratified in April 2024, the Board will grow to include a total of 12 members over the next few years. When fully subscribed, the Board will include five Officers (President, Vice President, Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and six Directors-at-Large.
All Directors will be elected to the board by a majority vote of the membership, with the intention to maintain diversity in career stage, geography, and diet and physical activity assessment expertise.
The Society’s Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer will be elected by a majority vote of the Directors, amongst themselves.
Key Dates
December 16, 2024 – ISDAM Board nominations due
January 6 to 17, 2025 – voting open for ISDAM Board members
Member Categories
Regular Member
Individuals working in academia, governmental agencies, or non-profit organizations.
Early Career Member
Individuals working in academia, governmental agencies, or non-profit organizations and within ten years of receiving their terminal degree.
Student Member
Individuals currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree-granting program at an educational institution of higher learning.
Associate Member
Individuals working in a for-profit enterprise.
Retired Member
Individuals retired from working in academia, governmental agencies, non-profit, or for-profit organizations.
Except for Associate members, all members are eligible to join the Board and become Directors-at- Large.
Up to two Student members may hold Director-at-Large positions. Student members are not eligible for Officer positions. Additionally, one Director-at-Large position will be allocated to a representative of the ISDAM Early Career Network, which includes both Student and Early Career members.
Other than the President and Past-President, Officers may hold more than one Officer position.
The Vice President will serve for a one-year term, then continue as President for a one-year term, and Past President for a one-year term. The Secretary and Treasurer will each serve a one-year term, which can be renewed for one additional one-year term, if they do not continue through as Vice President.
Directors-at-Large may serve a maximum of four terms. Each term lasts one year.
After serving for a minimum of one term on the Board, a Director is eligible to serve in an Officer position, with exceptions to this one term minimum as the Board grows to its maximum membership.
The nomination and election process will generally take place annually in October and November, with a new Board term commencing on January 1st.
Board Member Expectations
In serving on the Board, Directors and Officers are expected to:
- Maintain their Society membership in good standing throughout their Board service term(s)
- Serve and represent the best interests of the Society for the duration of their term(s)
- Participate in on-going Society affairs via email or other communications as required
- Chair, or serve as the Board representative to, Society committees
- Attend Board meetings as scheduled. Board meetings are scheduled by the President with a minimum of two meetings to be held each year. Except for face-to-face meetings at the International Conference on Diet and Activity Methods (ICDAM), all meetings will be held online.
- Actively participate in and/or attend other Society events (e.g., webinars)
- Serve as session chairs, moderators, and/or timekeepers at ICDAM and other Society events
- Actively participate in and/or promote the content of ICDAM and other Society events
In general, the Society will not cover travel and registration costs for Board members to attend the Society activities. Exceptions may apply, however. For example, Board members from low income countries and student Board members may be considered for support, depending on Society finances.
Nomination and Election Process for Board service
All members in good standing have the right to be nominated for Board service. Members can self-nominate or be nominated by other members in good standing. In the case of being nominated by others, the nominee must agree to being nominated.
Please submit a statement of interest to ISDAM@PodiumConferences.com by December 16th, 2024. If you are nominating someone else, please also include a signed form indicating their agreement.
The statement of interest (maximum one letter (8.5”x11”) or A4 size page, in Calibri font size 12) must include:
- A description of the nominee’s research focus and how it relates to diet and/or physical activity methods
- A short summary of the nominee’s significant contributions to diet and physical activity methods research
- A statement outlining what the nominee will bring to the Board and why the nominee wishes to serve
- Personal information, including name, email, phone number, current place of work or education, and a high resolution head and shoulder photo for use on the ISDAM website for the nomination process
- ISDAM Membership Category (please see category descriptions above)
- Declaration of potential conflicts of interest, including affiliations with the food, beverage, supplement, and/or pharmaceutical industries over the past five years
Nominations will be reviewed by a Board subcommittee and a slate of candidates will be prepared and put forward to the membership for election. Submitting a nomination does not guarantee the nominee will be selected for election.
During the election period, Society members will be able to review each candidate’s statement of interest on the Society’s website. At the close of the election period, which will be online and anonymous, the Board subcommittee will review the election results and communicate to all candidates the results of the election prior to public announcement of the results to the full membership.
Successful candidates will begin their 1-year service at the first Board meeting scheduled after January 1st.