SBM Partnerships and You: How Can Members Get Involved? 

Amy Janke, PhD^✉; Scientific and Professional Liaison Council Chair

The Scientific and Professional Liaison Council (SPLC) is the internal leadership group supporting SBM’s partnership activities with external organizations. Recently, the SPLC has been updating our approach to forming and supporting partnerships. Our goal is simple: we want more members involved in mutually rewarding partnerships. Partnerships with organizations help SBM extend its reach. When members help lead these partnerships, we create new opportunities and expand professional networks beyond our society. If you are interested in being a partner champion for SBM, here’s what you need to know.
 

What kinds of partners are good for SBM?

Groups that share our vision and organizational priorities make the best partners. Chances are, you already belong to another organization that has goals similar to SBM--you probably already know a great partner and have new ideas for partnership projects. For more information on partnerships, click here.
 

I know a good partner...now what??

Have a partnership idea? Reach out to the SPLC and we’ll help you get it started.

The first step in partnership is evaluating whether the proposed organization’s vision and priorities align with ours. The SPLC is developing tools to help you assess partnership alignment. These tools will help you identify how the partner aligns with SBM’s long-term strategic plan and organizational initiatives.  If you are a member of a SIG, it’s also a good idea to reach out to your SIG colleagues and leadership to discuss the prospective partnership. Partnerships need champions to succeed--often these champions can be found in our SIGs.  

The SPLC will need some basic information about the proposed partnership to move it forward. For example: What kind of collaborative activities will happen? Who will be involved? Are there any costs to partnership?

Once you’ve provided basic information about the potential partner to the SPLC, the first step is done. The SPLC will review the information you provide and give feedback on next steps.
 

What happens after I propose a partnership?

If the partnership seems like a good fit, the SPLC likely will ask for you and your SIG to help as the partner-champion. While some partnerships may be led by members of the SPLC or the Executive Committee, the majority of partnerships will be led by SBM members and SIGs with support from the SPLC. Members do the work that makes the partnership successful, so we want you involved!
 

Not all partnerships are created alike!

Some partners are great sources of information and resources, while other partners work closely with SBM members on shared activities like policy briefs. The SPLC approaches each kind of partnership differently. Some partnerships may do best with the SIG leading the way sharing information and resources within their membership. Other partnerships may require more engagement and support from the SPLC. Our goal is to understand what kind of partner you are proposing and who in SBM is best suited to champion the work.
 

How can the SPLC support a partnership?

Consider the SPLC a node in a larger network helping to connect partners and people. We see the “big picture” view of SBM’s work across all our partnerships and we offer the organizational support to help make your partnership thrive and grow. We can offer linkages to other internal and external groups,  ideas for activities, problem-solving of issues that arise, and coordination across the society. When SBM is asked to sign on or lend support to an issue with one voice as an organization, we can facilitate this review process with the Board of Directors.
 

Where can I go for more information?

Email the chair of the SPLC for more information and help with your partnership, you can find more information on the SPLC page of the SBM website.