Ready for a new project in 2024? Volunteers wanted

With the start of a new year, opportunities abound to get more involved with your professional community. ASA is looking for new members for a number of internal and external committees and working groups. 

Members from all locations, career stages and backgrounds are encouraged to get involved to help us reflect the values in our Diversity and Inclusion Policy. Everyone appointed to an ASA committee or working group must complete a disclosure of interests form and abide by our Conflicts of Interest Policy. For further information on any of these opportunities, please contact Marcia Balzer.

To express your interest in one or more of these positions, please email Cassie Real:

• Which opportunity/ies you’re interested in and why

• What you think you’d bring to the role/s

• A short CV.

The deadline for submitting expressions of interest is close of business on Friday 22 March 2024.

Clinical Committee
The Clinical Committee is looking for three new members:

• Psychologist working in clinical practice

• Dentist

• Sleep physician.

The Clinical Committee meets approximately 6 times each year and has a full agenda overseeing writing groups preparing position statements and guidelines, responding to requests for expert clinical advice, and advocating for clinical and regulatory issues. There is also work between meetings to review draft documents and respond to urgent requests for expert advice. 

CPAP Guidelines Review Working Group

A working group has been convened to review and update the 2009 Guidelines for provision of CPAP therapy. There is a particular need for input from a clinical perspective. All guidelines prepared by ASA working groups are published with the working group members listed as authors as set out in the Clinical and research document policy,

Education Committee

The Education Committee is seeking a Deputy Chair to help coordinate the ASA’s education program and seven education sub-committees and working groups. This would suit an early or mid-career member who’s interested in gaining leadership experience within the ASA. The commitment required and other information can be found in the position description. 

Advanced Trainee Education Sub-committee

This sub-committee works on providing tailored education to members who are Advanced Trainees. If you’re a current or recent trainee, we’d love to have you involved. Members from other disciplines or career stages who are interested in supporting education opportunities for Advanced Trainees are also welcome to volunteer. It’s not a large commitment – just 5-6 one-hour virtual meetings each year with a small amount of work between meetings.

Pharmacy Education Sub-Committee

This sub-committee is supporting the ASA-led Commonwealth grant, Quality Use of Medicines in Insomnia and Sleep Health (QUMISH) and is looking for more pharmacists to join the team. The sub-committee is also currently looking at undergraduate pharmacy curricula in sleep health and how education and training of pharmacists can be improved. If you’re a pharmacist with a special interest in sleep, please consider volunteering. There are around 5-6 one-hour virtual meetings each year with occasional email work between meetings.

Nursing Education Sub-Committee

This sub-committee is working in conjunction with the ASA-led Commonwealth grant under the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies program and is looking for more nurses to join the team. It advises on and organises education activities for nurses who are members of ASA as well as providing advice on engaging with nurse audiences outside the association. There are around 5-6 one-hour virtual meetings each year with occasional email work between meetings.

Research Committee

The Research Committee is seeking 1-2 new members who are early career researchers. The Committee runs the ASA’s research awards program, also providing advice on research topics to the Board and making submissions to government on research topics. The Committee meets virtually for an hour approximately 6 times each year, with some work required between meetings to review New Investigator abstracts, award submissions, and requests for ASA support for grant applications.

RACP representatives

There are two current vacancies for ASA representatives on key RACP governing bodies. Applicants must be a current RACP fellow.

1. College Council – College Council is the peak advisory body on strategic and cross specialty issues for the RACP Board. It responds to issues the Board refers to it as well as raises issues to the Board that the College Council feels need consideration. It is a large group comprised of representatives of all the 26 specialties and other college committees and working groups. 

2. Adult Medicine Division Council – The Adult Medicine Division Council oversees training and continuing professional development for Adult Medicine Fellows, whilst promoting excellence in skills, expertise and ethical standards. As an affiliated specialty society, ASA is able to nominate a representative to sit on the division council to represent the association and its members.