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The Careers writer team is a collaborative group of 5 ASM members who write articles on teaching, career development, professional development and career exploration with a focus on the microbial sciences. While articles that have to do with getting into graduate school, putting together resumes, etc. are welcome, they need to contain advice or evidence specific to the microbial sciences. The articles are published on asm.org for the core audience of trainees (e.g., undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs) or undergraduate and graduate educators.

Commitment

• Minimum commitment of 1 year, Jan.-Dec. 2022.
• Approximately 5 hours per written article and 1 hour per month for reviewing articles.  

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Must contribute 2 articles (750-1500 words) to asm.org per year.
• Collaboratively edit the work of other team members (approximately 1 article to edit every month).
• Attend quarterly calls with ASM staff.

Eligibility

• Must be an ASM member and maintain membership throughout the duration of the commitment.
• Must have, or be working toward, an advanced degree (master's degree and above) in microbiology or a related science.

Application and Selection Process

• Prospective team members are invited to contribute to asm.org on a guest basis for their first article, based on the strength of an initial article pitch.
• Pitches should include the overall story idea and the ‘take-home’ message for readers, and should be appealing to microbiology professionals and trainees.
• Guest contributors are assessed for writing skill and the ability to incorporate edits before being invited to join the team.

Each month, experts in clinical microbiology discuss 1- 2 recent journal articles related to the field.

Commitment

• One session commitment (1 hour).
• Two to 5 hours per session.

Responsibilities and Expectations

Presenter:

• Coordinate with the session coordinator to find a recent journal article on clinical microbiology (preferably open access or ASM).
• Create a 15-minute (max) presentation on confirmed article.
• Present during the live session held the second Tuesday of the month.

Discussion Panelist:

• Read the 2 articles confirmed for the session you are assigned.
• Participate in the live discussion during the second Tuesday of the month.

Eligibility

• ASM membership required.
• Preferred: a subject-matter expert in a clinical or public health lab, a laboratory director or a laboratory fellow.

Application Process

The IDEAA writer team is a collaborative group of 5 ASM members who write articles on inclusive diversity with equity, access and accountability (IDEAA). The goals of these articles include the following:

• Develop and provide IDEAA content and resources that educate, train and inform readers on IDEAA.
• Develop and provide IDEAA content to inspire and empower readers to elevate and embody IDEAA in their work.
• Amplify and magnify the voice of underrepresented communities within the microbial sciences through IDEAA articles and stories.

The articles are published on asm.org for the core audience of institutional leaders (e.g., deans, faculty, department chairs) or aspiring leaders (e.g., undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs).

Commitment

• Minimum commitment of 1 year, Jan.-Dec. 2022.
• Approximately 5 hours per written article and 1 hour per month for reviewing articles.  

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Must contribute 2 articles (750-1500 words) to asm.org per year.
• Collaboratively edit the work of other team members (approximately 1 article to edit every month).
• Attend quarterly calls with ASM staff.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be an ASM member and maintain membership throughout the duration of the commitment.
• Must have training and expertise in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and prior experience leading DEI initiatives, programs and/or activities. Acceptable experience includes DEI-related certifications, 5 or more years of experience working with and/or serving underrepresented groups or experience working in a DEI-focused role (ex., chief diversity officer, president of diversity and inclusion).

Application and Selection Process

• Prospective team members are invited to contribute to asm.org on a guest basis for their first article, based on the strength of an initial article pitch.
• Pitches should include the overall story idea, the ‘take-home’ message for readers and should be appealing to the core audiences listed above.
• Before being invited to join the team, guest contributors are assessed by ASM staff for knowledge and understanding of DEI principles and philosophy, overall web writing skill and the ability to incorporate edits from reviewers.

The Microbial Sciences writer team is a collaborative group of 6-8 ASM members who write news-y articles on scientific topics in the microbial sciences for asm.org’s core audience: microbiology professionals and trainees (e.g., graduate students, postdocs). Microbial Sciences writers cover all microbial sciences subtopics except clinical and public health microbiology (see Bugs & Drugs Team).

Commitment

• Minimum commitment of 1 year.
• Approximately 5 hours/month.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Must contribute 3 articles (750-1500 words) to asm.org per year.
• Collaboratively edit the work of other team members (approximately one article to edit every 2 weeks).
• Attend quarterly calls with ASM staff.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be an ASM member and maintain membership throughout the duration of the commitment.
• Must have, or be working toward, an advanced degree (master's degree and above) in microbiology or a related science.

Application and Selection Process

• Prospective team members are invited to contribute to asm.org on a guest basis for their first article, based on the strength of an initial article pitch.
• Pitches should include the overall story idea and the ‘take-home’ message for readers, and should be appealing to microbiology professionals and trainees (i.e., those with a fairly high level of background knowledge).
• Guest contributors are assessed for writing skill and the ability to incorporate edits before being invited to join the team.

Uncovering an interesting and unusual finding in a clinical case is one of the most exciting experiences in the microbiology laboratory. Share/publish this information with other microbiologists who are interested in the profession worldwide.

Commitment

• Three to 7 hours per case study.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Create 2 short case study videos: the first explaining the case, symptoms, plates, etc. The second video should explain the diagnosis and treatment.
• Write a short summary of the case for the ASM website.

Eligibility

• ASM membership is not required.
• Must be working in a clinical or public health microbiology laboratory.

Selection Process

• Email a few sentences about the case study you would like to present.
• The proposal will be reviewed and approved by ASM’s Professional Development Subcommittee.

The Bugs & Drugs writer team is a collaborative group of 6-8 ASM members who write news-y articles on scientific topics in clinical and public health microbiology for asm.org’s core audience: microbiology professionals and trainees (e.g., graduate students, postdocs).

Commitment

• Minimum commitment of 1 year.
• Approximately 5 hours/month.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Must contribute 3 articles (750-1500 words) to asm.org per year.
• Collaboratively edit the work of other team members (approximately one article to edit every 2 weeks).
• Attend quarterly calls with ASM staff.

Eligibility

• Must be an ASM member and maintain membership throughout the duration of the commitment.
• Must have, or be working toward, an advanced degree (master's degree and above) in microbiology or a related science.
• Expertise in clinical or public health microbiology.

Application and Selection Process

• Prospective team members are invited to contribute to asm.org on a guest basis for their first 2 articles, based on the strength of an initial article pitch.
• Pitches should include the overall story idea and the ‘take-home’ message for readers, and should be appealing to microbiology professionals and trainees (i.e., those with a fairly high level of background knowledge).
• Guest contributors are assessed for writing skill and the ability to incorporate edits before being invited to join the team.

In 2019, ASM established the Virtual Journal Club. Its goal is to highlight timely and novel publications, increase academic engagement and foster networking and community building in our discipline. The Virtual Journal Club subgroup reports to the Professional Development Subcommittee (PDS); a subcommittee of the Clinical and Public Health °®¶¹´«Ã½ Committee (°®¶¹´«Ã½C). The °®¶¹´«Ã½C’s mission is to promote and advance the practice of clinical and public health microbiology and is the clearinghouse for these issues.
 
The subgroup consists of 1 chair and 5 members (working at a laboratory director or assistant director-level) who each plan and coordinate 1-2 sessions per term. Since the inception of the virtual journal club, we’ve held numerous engaging sessions covering a variety of timely topics in the area of clinical, diagnostic, public health microbiology for a global audience of ASM member attendees!  (free for ASM members).

Subgroup Member Commitment

• One-year term (January-December).
• One to 2 sessions (estimated time: 3-6 hours of preparation per session).
• At least 1, 1-hour conference call.
• Participate in occasional follow-up emails regarding subgroup operations.

Responsibilities and Expectations

Coordinates and moderates no more than 2 sessions per year. Coordination responsibilities include:

• Identify a relevant and interesting topic.
• Identify 2 journal articles (ASM or non-ASM) on the topic (suggested journals and previously-covered articles will be provided).
• Identify and invite 2 speakers, who are ASM members, for the session (1 speaker per article, 15 minutes max per presentation).
• Identify and invite 3 discussion panelists, preferably ASM members, for the session.
• Serve as moderator for the session(s). This includes a 15-20 minute Q&A with the speakers and panelists.

Eligibility

• ASM membership required.
• Preferred, but not required: A subject-matter expert in a clinical or public health lab, laboratory director or a laboratory fellow.

Application Process

• Email your CV and a written statement on why you would like to join the virtual journal club subgroup by November 11.
• Include the following in your email:
  • Whether you are in a rural or urban laboratory.
  • Whether you work at an academic institution or community healthcare laboratory.
  • At least 2 topic suggestions for sessions that you would like to moderate.

The Laboratory Practices Subcommittee provides expert guidance on issues which are regulated by an external body or overseen by accrediting or standard-setting agencies and which impact the science and technology of clinical and public health microbiology laboratory practice. 

Commitment

• Three years.
• Two to 5 hours per month on average.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Participate in development of expert guidance documents in response to emerging issues and laboratory challenges. 
• Work with federal agencies to create and revise laboratory guidance documents.
• Review other organizations’ guidance documents and provide comment to ensure it reflects laboratory practice.
• Potential appointment as ASM liaison representative to international, federal and stakeholder committees (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee [CLIAC]; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Laboratory Working Group; CDC Board of Scientific Counselors, Office of Infectious Disease; Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute Subcommittee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing; Laboratory Response Network Working Group, ASM Capitol Hill Day, etc.).
• Occasionally, acting as subject matter experts to U.S. governmental agencies (Congressional offices, Office of Management and Budget, etc.).
• Participate in virtual meetings.
• Meet deadlines and actively collaborate.

Eligibility

• Must be an ASM member.
• Three to 6 years of experience directing a clinical or public health microbiology laboratory.
• Not currently employed by industry.
• Published in peer-reviewed journals.

Application Process

• Email your curriculum vitae (CV) and a paragraph highlighting the reason(s) you would like the opportunity (250-word limit) to Peggy McNult, pmcnult@asmusa.org by January 30.

During an AMA, subject matter experts from ASM and the microbiology community answer microbiology-themed questions from members of the Reddit community live on the Reddit platform.

Commitment

• Each AMA requires a commitment of approximately 3 hours, 1 hour of prep before the event and 2 hours on the day of the event.

Responsibilities and Expectations

• Participate in a prep call with ASM staff the week of the AMA.

Eligibility

• AMAs are topic-specific, so any scientist with expertise in the subject and a willingness to participate is eligible.
• A Reddit account is required.

Selection Process

• To participate, email a description of your area(s) of expertise and why you are interested in participating.
• ASM's Public Outreach Program Officer will reach out to interested volunteers with the appropriate topic expertise for each AMA.

ASM members and the microbiology community gather virtually to contribute to the refinement and growth of the open-source Wikipedia platform. The focus is on articles that are part of , specifically those containing requests for editing (citations, language clean-up, etc.), as well as topics and subjects identified as needing content development.

Commitment

• Edit-a-thons take place quarterly.
• Time commitment is 1-2 hours.

Eligibility

• Any microbiologist interested in participating is eligible. Volunteers will need to have experience with Wikipedia page editing, either on their own or through an ASM-run training.
• A Wikipedia account is required.