Call for nominations to expand the ESWRA Board membership

Introduction 
We are delighted to announce an open call for nominations to expand our Board membership by four. The Board is inviting experienced, suitably qualified individuals who have time to take on an active role and who have the skills to build capacity within the Board and contribute to the effective running of Board related business.  In this instance the term will usually for 2 years. The deadline for nominations is 12th May 2025
 
Prior to the vote each candidate will meet with Karen Winter, Chair; Ines Herrero, Secretary and Sarah Vicary, Chair Nomination and Elections committee to discuss your application and what is expected of these extraordinary Board appointments.
 
About European Social Work Research Association (ESWRA) Founded in 2014, the Association is at an exciting time in its development, consolidating existing strengths and looking forward to the future embracing the opportunities and addressing its challenges. We are looking for Board Members who will bring enthusiasm, energy, and commitment to the role, and take a pro-active lead in fulfilling ESWRA Goals.
 

• BENEFITS: To promote social work research which will have beneficial consequences for practitioners, service users, educators, researchers, graduate students, and those responsible for service development and delivery.
• HIGH STANDARD OF RESEARCH: To foster and maintain the development of high levels of social work research and knowledge production across the European community of nations.
• RESEARCH CAPACITY and LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES: To enhance both capacity and learning opportunities within and across the European social work community.
• RESEARCH METHODS FOR SOCIAL WORK: To provide an environment for the application of research methods and approaches by those from a wide range of disciplines within and beyond the social sciences, in forms which have relevance for social work practice and research.
• NETWORKS AND COLLABORATION: To build and work with networks of social work researchers within Europe and actively foster links between European and wider international research networks.

 
Eligibility criteria for the positions
Applicants must have the following:

• Current membership of ESWRA (at the time of application)
• Substantial and active commitment to ESWRA for 3 years and over, through SIG leadership, membership, and/or regular participation in conferences
• Senior level academic leadership and management experience including Board related experience or similar
• Willingness and the time to assume key Board roles.

 
We welcome applications from underrepresented European countries including but not limited to: France, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czechia, Netherlands, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Türkiye are encouraged. Details of current Board Members are available at: https://www.eswra.org/structure.html. Please note that some proficiency in English is a pre-requisite.
 
Application Process
Those interested should send a copy of their CV and letter of application to info@eswra.org. The letter of application should include:

• Name, title, job title & email address.
• University or other organisational affiliation (name & department).
• Confirmation of institutional support for a Board member.
• Confirmation of your current membership of ESWRA.
• A list of which European Conferences for social Work Research (ECSWR) you have attended.
• If you do not work in a European institution, then a demonstration of a clear connection to the social work research community in Europe.
• Confirmation that you are free to take on Board membership for at least 2 years
• Confirmation that, if elected, you are willing to take on a major Board officer role if asked to do so. Please indicate which roles or committees you would be interested in taking on in the future. Committees can be found here: Board roles here: https://eswra.org/eswra_commites.php
• A statement of up 150 words maximum briefly outlining your work relevant to social work research and the aims of ESWRA, an indication of what you might offer to the Board in terms of expertise e.g., legal, financial, governance and risk management aspects of running an organisation; skills in chairing, developing strategic and operational organisational plans; skills in managing budgets; project management; IT skills; social media skills; languages; international collaboration experience. Please note that if your name is put forward for election, your text will be hosted on the ESWRA website for the purposes of the election.
• A link to your profile on your institution’s website (if that is available).

 
Calendar for Selection/Election Process

• Application deadline                                12th May 2025
• Interview period                                        22nd May – 2nd June
• Voting period                                             w/c 2nd June 1 week
• Announcement of results                         w/c 9th June
• Where to send your application             info@eswra.org

We appreciate your commitment to advancing social work research, and we look forward to receiving your nomination. For further details and inquiries, please contact us at info@eswra.org
 
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
 
The Nominations and Election Committee
Sarah Vicary Chair