1. Research Interest Group (RIG) Chair Orientation
The following presentation will orient new Research Interest Group Chairs to the responsibilities of the position, timelines for chair activities, and available resources to assist in leading a RIG.

2. Welcome to your position as Chair of an MNRS RIG!
Welcome to your position as Chair of an MNRS Research Interest Group!
As you know, each RIG selects a Chair-Elect annually to serve a 3-year period of tiered leadership for the RIG and to facilitate mentorship of new leaders. You will serve one year as Chair-Elect, one year as Chair, and one year as Past Chair.
We hope that this PowerPoint presentation, along with the RIG handbook and other MNRS resource documents discussed during this orientation will serve you well as you begin leading your research interest group and approach accomplishing the tasks and goals your RIG has set forth.
So, let’s get started!

3. Major Responsibilities
Getting Started
Communication
Guaranteed/Competitive Research Symposia
RIG Awards
RIG Chairs Meeting at Annual Conference
RIG Meeting at Annual Conference
The major responsibilities of the RIG Chair are:
to become familiar with the position by reviewing the existing resources
to direct and provide communication to RIG members
to facilitate submission of guaranteed or competitive research symposia from your RIG
to facilitate RIG awards
to attend the RIG Chairs meeting at the MNRS Annual Conference
and to plan and lead the meeting of your RIG at the MNRS Annual Conference
We hope that the information provided in this presentation will help you to navigate these responsibilities with ease!
We will now talk specifically about each of the responsibilities.

4. Getting Started
Website
Individual RIG web page
RIG Handbook (RIG Policies)
RIG FAQ
RIG Past Chair, Chair-Elect
RIG Advisory/Communications Committees
MNRS Staff
The first, most important task is to review the MNRS website, including your RIG’s individual webpage to become familiar with where helpful resources are located. Links are provided on the website for the RIG Handbook, RIG Forms, a RIG FAQ, and the RIG Chair’s Resource Document. You will want to read these documents early in your term to become familiar with MNRS policies and procedures for various RIG activities.
It will also be very helpful for you to connect with the immediate past-chair to gather any documents or templates that may have been used previously for calls for abstract or award submissions or to solicit volunteers for review panels. If you don’t have to recreate the wheel...DON’T! You may also want to reach out to the Chair-elect for help in accomplishing the work set forth by your RIG membership.
Finally, the Chairs and members of the RIG Advisory/Communications Committees and the MNRS Staff can also be helpful resources to gain additional information, if you are unable to resolve your questions through the written documents discussed above. The names and contact information for these individuals are listed on the MNRS website. They are just an or a phone call away and they will be happy to help you find the answers you seek.

5. Research Interest Groups
RIGs cover a wide range of research topics of interest.
The current RIG list is located at
Every 5 years, starting in 2012, RIGs are restructured.
Guidelines for the restructuring process are included in the RIG Handbook.
As you may know, we have many RIGs in MNRS and they cover a wide range of research topics of interest. Each RIG conducts it’s own business within the MNRS guidelines, but it is up to the Chair and the membership to decide how you will maintain your RIG.
The current RIG list is located on the MNRS website.
Every 5 years, starting in 2012, RIGs are restructured. During this time, RIGs can be created, dissolved, or proposed to continue.
The RIG Handbook contains detailed guidelines for handling each of the above situations during the restructuring process.

6. Communication
RIG members can be reached through the following routes of communication:
LinkedIn
RIG’s Listserv
RIG’s web page
MNRS Matters newsletter
RIG member highlights
Various routes of communication can be used to relay information to RIG members, highlight research being conducted by members, obtain information, or, perhaps even to begin a collaboration, just to name a few.
It is the responsibility of the RIG Chair to inform members of RIG Goals, generate calls for symposium abstracts and award applications with the associated deadlines, advertise the time and location of the RIG meeting at the annual conference, and support the communication of any other additional RIG activities, for example RIG member highlights. RIG chairs are encouraged to highlight RIG members in recognition of their achievements, honors, or even service to the RIG. For example, the RIG chair might work with a highlighted RIG member to draft a short excerpt outlining their research. This information can be included on the MNRS RIG webpage and through MNRS matters. More details on submitting RIG member highlights can be found in the RIG Handbook.
Each RIG has a LinkedIn Page, an Listserv, and a webpage to use for the communication of all information pertinent to the interest of the RIG membership. The MNRS Matters newsletter can also be utilized to advertise RIG information to the larger organization.

7. Research Symposia Guaranteed/Competitive
Each RIG has a Guaranteed Symposium on designated years.
In years that are not designated for Guaranteed Symposium, RIGs may submit an abstract for competitive symposium.
Each year a number of sessions at the Annual Conference are reserved for symposia originating from designated RIGS. RIGs are rotated on a 3-year basis. The rotation schedule is located in the RIG Handbook.
The RIG chair is responsible for the coordination of the symposium process, including setting the symposium title/subject/focus, writing and releasing the request for abstracts, assembling a blinded, peer-review panel, collecting abstracts via chair , facilitating the blinded review and selection of 4-5 abstracts, informing applicants of chosen abstracts, and submitting the symposium information to MNRS.
In years, that a RIG is not designated for a Guaranteed Symposium, the RIG may submit an abstract for a Competitive Symposium.

8. Guaranteed Symposia Timeline
Spring: Decide on symposia title, subject/focus
June: Assemble review panel and release request for abstracts
Mid-July: Abstracts due
Mid-Late July: Abstracts reviewed
Early August: Inform applicants of decision/submit to MNRS
Here is an example of a general timeline for developing and coordinating a guaranteed symposia. Planning generally begins in the Spring and continues through early August.
You will be alerted of exact dates by the organization as soon as they are determined each year.
It is important to keep in mind that RIG Symposium selection MUST be completed prior to the MNRS general abstract deadline to allow members whose papers are not selected by the RIG to submit their materials for the general call for abstracts in September.

9. Competitive Symposia Timeline
Spring: Decide on symposia title, subject/focus
June: Assemble review panel and release request for abstracts
Mid-July: Abstracts due
Mid-Late July: Abstracts reviewed and applicants informed of decision
Early August: inform applicants of decision/submit to MNRS
Mid-August: MNRS notified of decision/inform abstract authors
The timeline for submitting a Competitive Symposium is almost identical to that of the Guaranteed Symposium, except that there is a second level of review.
Once the abstracts for the Competitive Symposium are selected at the RIG level, the RIG Chair submits the symposium electronically to the MNRS Meeting Manager by a deadline set in early August, which will be communicated by the MNRS Meeting Manager.
The MNRS Program Planning Committee will blindly review the submitted symposia. Notification of acceptance will be provided to the Chair in mid-August. It is the Chair’s responsibility to notify the authors of the MNRS decision.
Again, if the Competitive Symposium is not accepted for presentation, the authors are eligible to submit their abstracts individually into the MNRS General Call for Abstracts in September and MUST be notified of their status prior to this date.
Detailed information regarding both Guaranteed and Competitive Symposia can be found in the RIG Handbook.

10. RIG Awards RIGs may offer awards for their members Awards vary by RIG
Basic areas for awards include: undergraduate, graduate, early career, senior researcher, best publication, and best presentation
Each RIG may offer awards for their members. The types and numbers of awards are at the discretion of the RIG Chair and/or the RIG membership. The awards offered by each RIG can be found on the individual RIG web pages.
Basic areas for awards include: undergraduate, graduate, early career, senior researcher, best publication, and best presentation.
All RIG awards are non-monetary. RIG chairs are responsible for purchasing and issuing any plaques and/or certificates to recipients during the individual RIG meeting at the Annual Conference. Each RIG receives a budgeted around $50 for the purpose of purchasing awards.
The RIG chair sets the types and numbers of awards offered, releases the request for applications, and assembles a review panel. MNRS collects applications online and sends to chair, who then facilitates the review, selects the recipient(s), informs applicants of acceptance or rejection, and notifies MNRS of award recipients.

11. Awards Timeline Mid-August – Release request for applications
October – Assemble Review Panel
Mid-November – Applications Due!
Mid-December – Inform applicants and submit information to MNRS
Here is an example of a general awards timeline that outlines the releasing of the request for applications in Mid-August through the notification of applicants and MNRS sometime in December or early January.
Again, you will be alerted to the exact dates by the organization as soon as they are determined each year.

12. RIG Chairs Meeting
RIG Chairs and Chairs-Elect attend the RIG Chairs Meeting at the Annual Conference
Report updates to RIG members during RIG meeting
RIG Chairs and Chairs-Elect are expected to attend the RIG Chairs Meeting that is held annually just prior to the start of the Business Meetings at the Annual Conference.
At this meeting, important information will be communicated and discussed that is pertinent for the RIGs to know and understand.
It is the responsibility of the Chair to report any information and updates to the RIG membership during the individual RIG meeting that is held at the Annual Conference.

13. RIG Meeting
Individual RIG meetings are held at the Annual Conference at times designated by the Program Planning Staff.
Meeting dates, times, and locations are listed in the Annual Conference brochure.
Individual RIG meetings are held at the Annual Conference at times designated by the Program Planning Staff. Meeting times and locations are listed in the Annual Conference brochure.
It is the Chair’s responsibility to plan the agenda, inform MNRS of any audiovisual (AV) needs, conduct the meeting, and then submit a meeting summary to MNRS following the Annual Conference.
It is extremely helpful for Chairs to communicate the date, time, and location of the individual RIG meeting to the RIG membership to encourage attendance. This is the only time the RIG meets face-to-face each year.
During the meeting, you may find it very helpful to ask attendees to sign in so that you can keep track of numbers of members in attendance and so that members have the opportunity to indicate their willingness to serve on review panels for abstracts and awards, mentor students or new investigators, or assist with any other activity your RIG sponsors during the year.

14. RIG Meeting Timeline January: Plan Agenda
Early February: AV needs to MNRS
Mar/April: RIG Meeting at Annual Conference
Submit meeting summary to MNRS
Here is a general timeline for planning your RIG meeting.
A Meeting Planning Form is available in RIG Handbook and can be downloaded from the MNRS website to provide guidance in setting the agenda for the RIG meeting. Make sure to consider any special topics for that year, such as planning for restructuring, identifying guaranteed symposium dates and topics, or discussing plans for submitting a proposal for a pre-conference workshop.
Following the meeting, a summary of the meeting activities must be submitted to MNRS within 2 weeks of meeting date. A template for this report can also be found in the RIG Handbook.

15. Remember
The RIG Chair acts as the liaison between the RIG and the MNRS Staff.
Resources to assist you are available.
Enjoy your position!
Remember that your biggest role is to act as the liaison between the RIG and the MNRS Staff. You are a very important link to ensure that information is communicated to the RIG membership and that activities of the RIG follow the established timelines.
There are many people and resources to help you learn and understand all of the responsibilities we have introduced to you today and support you in your role as RIG Chair. And as you heard many times, check the RIG handbook for helpful information, but do not hesitate to reach out.
Finally, we want you to enjoy your time as a RIG Chair! We hope that the opportunity to connect and provide leadership to others who have similar research interests will be very fulfilling as you provide service to MNRS.
We thank you so much for your time and attention! We hope you have found this presentation helpful!